Love Coach
by Prinzack
Summary: What would you do for a shot at your best friend, the coldest, most ignorant man on the face of the planet? First, make a fool out of yourself. Second, seek help. Third, fall in love with someone else.
1. An Honest Attempt

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_ or any of the characters

**Summary: **Tenten has never had much luck when it came to love, but at last she found someone with enough read experience to help her win the heart of her childhood crush.

* * *

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**Chapter 1: **An Honest Attempt  
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There was only one word to truly describe what she'd just experienced: embarrassing. By "embarrassing," of course, she actually meant "complete and utter failure and humiliation displayed before her best friend, with whom she'd spent so many years trying to build a strong sense of respect."

Now that Tenten looked back at what had happened, she was shocked at how bold and stupid the idea really was. How Sakura and Ino had managed to talk her into doing such a thing was beyond baffling. Or... perhaps Tenten was more pathetic than she thought.

* * *

It was a day that began just like any other. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and Tenten was getting ready to go train with her team at the training grounds. Like many other days, she was leaving her apartment with a gray tank top, black sweatpants, and a pouch full of weapons strapped around her waist. Simple; nothing flashy or eye-catching. She didn't deem herself Konoha's super tomboy for nothing.

It had been three years since Pein's defeat and Konoha's reconstruction. The Akatsuki was no more, and Uchiha Sasuke finally came to his senses and returned, with minimal, but appropriate, consequences. In other words, things were as peaceful as can be, and it was a beautiful day for a good spar with her best friend.

Tenten was locking up the door to her apartment when she felt a pair of strong hands clamp down on her shoulders.

"Good morning, Tenten!"

She gave the ground the briefest of glares before turning around with a bright smile plastered to her face.

"Good morning, Sakura, Ino. What are you two doing here so early in the morning?"

The moment she saw them exchanging excited glances, she knew something was wrong. Something in her gut told her that they were here on account of last night, when the devilish plotters finally wrenched the truth about her crush on Neji from her, with the help of an overdose of alcohol of course. It would have been too good to be true to think there would be no consequences.

"My dear Tenten," Ino cooed, her face inching uncomfortably close, "Sakura and I have finally found the solution to your Neji problem."

Tenten felt her stomach turn at the mention of his name. "My 'Neji problem'?" she repeated. "I don't _have_ a 'Neji problem.'"

The blonde folded her arms across her chest and sniffed in response. "You mean you _won't _have a Neji problem as long as you follow our instructions."

With bright smiles, Sakura and Ino took Tenten by her hands and began pulling her away, ignoring her cries of refusal. Those girls never did take "no" for an answer.

* * *

"What exactly are you guys planning?" Tenten asked with a groan. "I have to meet Neji and Lee at the training grounds in five minutes."

When there was no answer from either of her captors, she sighed aloud and began to make herself comfortable.

Ino and Sakura had successfully convinced her to make a short stop at Sakura's home before meeting her team. As the two girls chattered away in the bathroom, Tenten sat quietly on the living room couch, her legs crossed and hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt. With her trained ears, she strained to listen in on the excited conversation, catching a few words here and there that included "sexy" and "irresistible."

No doubt the girls were about to force her into a plan to catch Neji's attention. She knew it was a mistake to go drinking with them, yet she'd given them the benefit of the doubt and went along anyway. From what she remembered, they'd spent half the time at the bar drinking and used the other half gossiping and being drunk. If her pathetic, drunken self hadn't spilled the beans about having feelings for the white-eyed prodigy, she probably wouldn't be in this situation.

"Sakura..." she whined, tossing her head back on the couch.

At last, the duo emerged from the bathroom with suspicious materials in their hands.

"Here you go," Ino gushed, spreading some clothing out on the couch. "Wear this when you meet him."

Tenten took one long look at the outfit, then looked up at the blond with disgust.

From what she could see, the outfit consisted of two main pieces that showed too much skin for comfort. The top was light pink in color, strapless, and ended two inches above her navel. The bottom was a short black skirt that—Tenten could only imagine—barely covered the curve of one's ass. Following the pair of tube-like "clothing," Sakura handed her a set of underwear. Lacy black underwear, complete with matching high heels.

"You can't possibly expect me to wear that."

Sakura frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "And why wouldn't you?"

"As soon as I leave I'm going to go _train _with my teammates."

"Yeah, what's the problem again?"

Tenten stared at her friends in disbelief. "Did I mention I was going to be _training_?"

With a snort, Ino gave her a quick, dismissive wave of the hand. "Honey, please. If you're truly the great kunoichi we know you to be, fighting in high heels should be a breeze."

Fighting in heels is definitely easy enough. Fighting in stilettos includes a whole other field of problems.

"Also, with a skirt like that, you'll have no problem flashing Neji a bit of sexy underwear." Sakura added with a wink.

It took a great deal of will for Tenten to refrain from blushing at the thought of her best friend getting a glimpse of her underwear. It also took about the same amount of will to keep herself from punching her dear friends in the stomach.

"Don't be stupid," Tenten scoffed, forcing away the heat from her face, "Neji would never react that way. More like I'd humiliate myself in front of the guy."

She watched as Sakura flashed Ino a triumphant grin. _What the hell is she smiling about? _

"Oh, Tenten. Never overestimate a prodigy. Smart as he may be, he's still a _man_, and all men have their urges."

* * *

And so began Tenten's humiliation. Giving her friends a defeated sigh, she allowed them to dress her up in the skimpy outfit they so generously bought for her, lingerie and all. While they also offered to style her hair and pretty her face with make-up, Tenten assured her friends that there was no need, and that it would take too much time. For the moment, the buns on her head were the only things giving her comfort, and she didn't want that taken away as well.

Quickly, she thanked them for their "thoughtfulness" and headed out the door, relieved when they showed no indication of wanting to follow.

As soon as the door closed behind her, she immediately regretted accepting the clothing. The cool, morning breeze told her exactly how much skin was exposed, and it made her feel more vulnerable than she'd thought. She could even feel the breeze through her too-thin and too-tight shirt. It's a wonder anyone wore anything like this; it felt like she was just flat out naked.

"Damn tight clothes," she muttered, pulling down her skirt as far as she could.

She glanced up at the sky and cursed under her breath. It'd already been an hour or so since she left her house.

Team Gai was probably done with waiting for their fourth member and skipped group training to move on to partnered sparring. She imagined Gai Sensei and Lee off running laps somewhere and Neji sitting quietly—but impatiently—under a tree, waiting for his partner to appear. She could just hear him now, going on and on about how displeased he was to have to wait for her.

"You're late again," Tenten said, furrowing her brows as she tried to imitate Neji's voice. "I cannot possibly stress enough the importance of being on time."

"Hm? Are you talking to me?"

Tenten froze at the sound of the voice as her wide eyes stared ahead at her company. Immediately, she bowed her head to hide her face, and her hands flew down to her skirt, pulling it down further.

"Ah, excuse me! I was just mumbling to myself."

"Oh, that's good. I thought you came to lecture me about skipping out on Tsunade's meeting."

She glanced up at the figure with a light blush on her cheeks, ashamed that she'd been seen in such an outfit. Her blush deepened when she realized who the person was. _Tilted headband, masked face, silver hair... _It was Sakura's sensei. Tenten's eyes traveled down to the object in his hands. _Icha Icha Paradise... _

"Hatake Kakashi!" she gasped. What a day this was turning out to be.

He blinked a few times before closing his book and tucking it away. "Do I know you, miss? I think I'd remember such a..." He paused thoughtfully. "A lady such as you."

Tenten narrowed her eyes and continued walking, brushing by Kakashi as he gave her a curious look.

She walked as fast as she humanly could, trying her best to look calm and indifferent. Of all the people in the village, it had to be Hatake Kakashi to see her. From what she'd heard from Sakura, he was one of the most closeted perverts of the older men, always reading those dirty Icha Icha novels without actually acting upon perversion.

_"I bet he fantasizes about those stories and women every night." _she remembered Sakura saying one night, as the girls chatted about their senseis' strange habits. It was hard to believe he was such a great ninja. The famous Copy Ninja of Konoha; the biggest _Icha Icha _fan of all time.

"At least he didn't recognize me," she grumbled, doubting it was as fortunate a thing as she said. "He'd never know I was that pathetic kunoichi who got her ass kicked during the Chunin exams, or that I was the girl who had so much trouble fending off the Akatsuki while rescuing the Kazekage."

She sighed dejectedly as her pace slowed to the point of almost dragging her feet. Maybe she should have just let herself sleep in this morning.

* * *

"You're late, Tenten."

An irritated Neji sat below a tall tree, legs crossed, arms folded, and lips pulled into a tight frown. His eyes were closed, and his Byakugan wasn't activated. Tenten sighed with relief; she was safe from his sight for now.

"I cannot possibly stress enough the importance of being on time."

Tenten almost laughed at her correct prediction of his reaction as she approached the Hyuga. Oh, the benefits of being a genius's best friend. She then quickened her pace so as not to irritate him further.

As soon as she reached the tree and was standing before him, Neji opened his eyes. His steadily widening eyes suddenly reminded her of her situation, and she fought the strong urge to just run back home and burn her clothes.

"Where are Sensei and Lee?" she asked quickly, averting her eyes.

For the moment, she feared looking him straight in the eye; it would make it harder for her to keep her cool. Besides, Hinata made it clear that shy girls were very attractive, with all the guys who've gushed at how cute she was when she couldn't even make eye contact. She looks shy now, right?

"The green beasts of Konoha have gone to take a run," he replied at last, standing up and brushing the dirt off his pants. "They wish you well, in case you were ill."

Tenten noticed Neji looking at her from the corner of his eye, and it made her smile to think that this idea might possibly work, even on the coldest of ice cubes.

"Perhaps you should go home and rest for the day."

Tenten's eyes shot up to meet Neji's as he towered over her. "What do you mean?" she asked, furrowing her brows. "Is it because I was late?"

He slowly shook his head and looked down at her with a frown. "You don't seem to be feeling well today."

The look he gave her sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn't full of insatiable lust or desire, like she was led to believe, but disappointment and disbelief. His stare was known for its intimidation, and Tenten was all too familiar with it, but she'd never really seen him give her the stare, and it made her want to shrink down into the smallest hole she could find.

"Sorry," Tenten mumbled, looking sheepishly at the ground. "I was just taking up some heavily pressured advice."

She could tell that he was doing his best not to scoff aloud.

"No doubt Haruno and Yamanaka convinced you to wear that."

"Good guess."

Neji sighed and turned his back to her. "Tenten, I'm surprised at how easily they were able to manipulate you."

_Manipulate, _he says. It was obvious that he was going to act this way; the little voice in the back of her mind told her so. There was just that tiny shimmer of hope inside her that told her to risk her pride. Too bad that tiny shimmer couldn't melt Neji's cold attitude. As she predicted, she was only making a fool out of herself. Out of all this humiliation, it was probably the disappointment in his voice that hurt her the most.

"Guess I'm not feeling well after all," Tenten whispered with an nervous laugh, "To have folded so easily."

"Let's hope that's truly the case."

Something about his reply set her off. All at once, there was so much she wanted to say to him.

_Maybe if you weren't so damn distant or intimidating, I wouldn't have to demean myself by resorting to such tactics!_

_I'm a girl too, you know. Is it so wrong to dress and act like one for once?_

_Is it my _destiny_ to have such a cold-hearted bastard for a best friend?!  
_

She also wanted to punch him in the stomach.

Nevertheless, Tenten swallowed her sudden rage and smiled as brightly as she could. "I'm sorry again about being late. I'll definitely be on time tomorrow."

There was only so much she could stand from him. Without another look at the Hyuga, she spun on her heels and walked away, doing her best to blink away the tears from her eyes.

* * *

Tenten found herself ordering another drink from the bartender. It was probably her fifth glass, but who was counting? Although she made of point of avoiding alcoholic drinks, however many shots it took to get her drunk would be fine for her today.

Being a peaceful afternoon, there weren't many people in the bar, but every now and then, there would be a guy or two who would offer her a dance or another drink. There were so many other men who were willing to let loose; why did she have to fall for the most asexual man on the planet? Even that Uchiha Sasuke softened up for Sakura after returning to the village.

After leaving the training grounds, she'd chosen to keep on her revealing outfit for the day in an attempt to enjoy her temporary bravery. It's not like she'll ever wear anything like it again; might as well enjoy it while she has the gall to wear it. It gave her attention she never thought she'd receive, and in a small way, it made her feel better.

Still, no amount of attention could distract her from the horrible feeling she felt from the look Neji gave her.

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End Chapter 1  
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A/N: **Hope that wasn't too choppy or fast. I was too excited about finishing this, so I reviewed/edited it as quickly as I could. I know there are _very_ few KakaxTen fans, but I hope I can entertain those who _do _enjoy it. :)** R&R **please~


	2. Wild Night Out

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of its characters

**Previously:**_ Tenten begins to get in touch with her feminine side with the help of Ino and Sakura in order to have a chance at being more than just friends with her childhood crush. However, her plan backfires, and she retreats from her plan, hurt and humiliated. _

_

* * *

_

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**Chapter 2: **Wild Night Out  
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It'd been a long morning for Kakashi: a long, arduous day of avoiding any sort of work or meetings. Although it was never a good day to waste any time in the Hokage's suffocating office, there was something peculiar about today that really made it difficult to even _think _about hearing Tsunade's repetitive droning. Also, today marked one of her weekly lectures about lazy Jounin lounging about during this time of peace, or something along those lines. Therefore, with a pleasure book in hand, he took his refuge on the opposite side of the village.

Any other day he would have just taken a long detour to save a starving kitten in dire need of help getting down from a tree, but something told him to just go ahead and take the entire day off.

Perhaps it was that girl he'd met earlier that set him off in a good mood. With the brown hair and thin legs, she reminded him exactly of a certain character in _Icha Icha Paradise._ If only she didn't have her hair in buns; she would have been an exact match. Still, it was a lovely reminder of what he wanted to be doing, and it had him whistling a cheery tune.

True to his reminder, the masked Jounin was sitting in a secluded part of Konoha, his nose buried in the first _Icha Icha _installation and with no one in sight to bother him.

Since Jiraiya's tragic death, there hadn't been a single hint of there being another book being released. Kakashi had then decided to take the "hiatus" time to reread what books he already had. Besides, what better way to commemorate the great Jiraiya than to read and appreciate his greatest works?

"Won't be long 'til Naruto takes up the pen," he mused softly to himself. "If that kid doesn't become Hokage, he'll definitely become Jiraiya's heir to the _Icha Icha _throne. Perhaps even both, if he was lucky enough."

Kakashi let out a short chuckle before continuing his reading, though it was becoming increasingly difficult to focus with the sudden appearance of someone else's chakra. This someone was too strong to be an every day villager, so he began to feel a tiny bit nervous.

"Man, are you still reading that stuff?"

He lowered his book and stared at the senbon that wagged three inches from his nose.

"So. It would be Shiranui Genma to find me," Kakashi sighed. "You turning me in to the Hokage?"

Genma gave a snort, careful not to let his long, makeshift toothpick slip from his lips. "Don't worry, Kakashi. I'm skipping too."

With a nod, Kakashi went back to reading his book and hoped that was the end of the conversation. He was not one for small talk, but his bench buddy wasn't short of a gossiping, old granny. Also, from the way Genma was eying him, he was able to guess that he was not going to like what was coming next.

_Three... two... one..._

"So seriously. When are you going to get some real action?" Genma asked, tapping a bored, steady beat on his knee.

_Bingo. Straight to the point._

"Too much work for something so easily broken."

His answer came all too quickly, but without losing any bit of truth. Perhaps it was from all the times he'd been made to answer such a question. Seems like a lot of people are interested in his love life. Is it so surprising to see a single man in this village? It's not like he's _that _old...

"I don't want to sound rude," Genma started, "but you're not getting any younger."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I'm only thirty-three. I still have plenty of time to settle down, should I choose to." As he finished the sentence, he frowned at his skipping partner through his mask. He could almost see the ideas beginning to brew in that senbon-sucking head, and it definitely wasn't a good sign.

"Okay, here's what we do."

It was time to end the conversation. "Genma. I don't need-"

"We'll go to the closest pub in the neighborhood."

Of course he wasn't listening. "I'm not a very good drinker-"

"It's during the day, so there won't be a lot of drunken _male _idiots there..."

It was probably a good idea to just walk away at this point. Kakashi quickly pocketed _Icha Icha Paradise_ and got off the bench. It was a rude gesture to make, but it was necessary in order to get the thick-headed Genma to take a hint.

"We're sure to find a nice girl for you there."

And... of course he was following closely behind. Guess the hint wasn't big enough. This guy's brain was probably dying due to the heavy-metal poisoning from sucking on that damn senbon.

Didn't this guy have friends of his own? Surely they were available as well. "Have you seen Raido or Aoba?" Kakashi asked as he quickened his pace.

The look on Genma's face wasn't very assuring.

"Yeah, they're actually at the bar we're going to," he replied with a grin. "I'm meeting them there."

"Well, I wouldn't want to be a fourth wheel. I should just go-"

"Nonsense!" Genma gave a hearty punch to the Jounin's shoulder. "I'm helping you out, and I won't take 'no' for an answer."

Kakashi sighed in defeat and followed Genma down the street and into the bar marked by a large purple sign with bright yellow writing. And it started out to be such a good day, too.

* * *

"About time, Shiranui."

Genma walked up to his friends with a smirk. "Raido and Aoba. Guess who I brought with me?"

The pair exchanged glances.

"I give up," Raido said with a sigh. "Who did you bring?"

The smirk refused to slip from senbon-chewing Jounin. "Better hand over the cash, 'cause I won the bet! Hatake Kakashi has accompanied me to this pub."

Raido rubbed the back of his neck stiffly while Aoba adjusted his glasses. "You could at least use a clone jutsu or something. I don't see him anywhere."

The senbon nearly dropped from Genma's mouth as he swung around, coming face to face with the back of a stranger's head. He was sure the silver-haired Jounin had followed him in, and yet there he wasn't.

"He was right behind me!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

* * *

In truth, Kakashi was still in the pub, but he had hidden his chakra and was on the opposite end of the building. He just thought it wise to separate from Genma as soon as he stepped in; he would not be forced into some "wild night out with the boys." The idea of swapping bodily fluids with any drunken female was just repulsive. With that in mind, it probably would have made more sense to actually leave the bar, but it was quieter than he thought, and no one would think of looking for him here.

Taking a short look around, he noticed the bar, where nearly all the stools were empty. He decided to at least have a drink while he was here.

Approaching the counter, he glanced at a young woman with her face buried in her hands. Empty glasses surrounded her elbows, and the bartender continuously threw her odd looks. Kakashi sighed and sat down a seat away from her. She was probably going to throw up all over the place, poor thing.

He waved at the bartender to get his attention. "Can I get some fruit punch?"

The bartender blinked at Kakashi, but nodded and turned to get a cup.

"Thanks," he mumbled, taking the offered glass. "I'll have my friend pay in a minute."

Immediately after taking a sip of his punch, he delved into his pocket and pulled out his book, flipping to the exact page he'd left off. Hopefully, he wouldn't be interrupted again. No one would care if a middle-aged man read in a pub, right? Right.

"So. Even the great Hatake Kakashi has to unwind and get drunk, huh?"

Damn the world and its talkative inhabitants. Kakashi lowered his book and looked over at the young woman who sat a seat away. With a tipsy smirk on her lips, she maneuvered her way over and closed the gap between them.

"Not so, actually," he replied, setting his book down on the counter and taking his glass. "I'm drinking fruit punch."

The girl threw her head back and laughed aloud, slapping his arm playfully. How was that even funny?

"Guess you're not as stoic as I've heard, Sensei. You do have a sense of humor."

Kakashi furrowed his brow at the girl. She looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on where he'd seen her. All he knew was that she looked far too much like the woman in _Icha Icha Paradise. _Wait... hadn't he thought something similar earlier this morning?

"Do I know you?" he asked, turning toward her.

"My, how rude of you!" she gasped in feigned hurt. "And after you had such a good look at me this morning, too."

He looked up at the ceiling as he tried to remember what had happened earlier today, then blinked in realization. She was the one he bumped into on his way away from the Hokage's office. She was even wearing the same outfit, except now her hair was down. Perhaps he should pay more attention to things after all; this situation was becoming increasingly awkward, and he was probably going to get kneed in the nads.

"But I don't blame you," she sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "I'm not exactly the most memorable girl in the village. Not even in this outfit."

Oh lord. She was getting all sentimental and broody: the worst kind of bar mate to drink with, so he'd heard.

"I'm such a failure at everything," she mumbled with a sniffle. "Genjutsu, hairstyling, love..." She turned to Kakashi and gave his arm a rough jab. "The list goes on, I tell you."

Kakashi sat stiffly in his seat, suppressing the will to just get up and leave, like he'd done with Genma. Though he was fairly sure this girl wouldn't follow him like Genma had done, he still thought it better to sit still. Who knows? He could probably use this as an excuse for why he skipped out on today's meeting, should the Hokage ask. It would definitely sound better than saving a kitten from a tree while contemplating the true meaning of life.

"Give me an honest answer," she slurred, "Am I attractive at all?"

The Jounin leaned as far away from the girl as possible, a strained expression gracing his features. Admittedly, he'd never been asked such a question in such close proximity to a female. It was seriously nerve wracking. His mind turned to the only available reference: his extensive knowledge of _Icha Icha_ quotes.

"Ah, well, each woman displays a certain level of beauty, and yours reaches a whole other level."

Not the best quote to choose, but it was first one he could think of. It certainly sounded a lot cheesier when he said it out loud, but hopefully the girl was too drunk to realize how insincere it really sounded.

A bright smile spread across her face as she processed his words. "Wow, that's really sweet of you to say. I'm surprised, Sensei."

At the moment, he couldn't decide whether drunk women were easier or harder to deal with. Nevermind. Women were hard to deal with period.

He waved at the bartender again.

"Refill on your punch?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Actually, I think I'll have a shot of whiskey."

The bartender glanced at the girl before grinning widely. "Right away, sir."

Accepting the glass of whiskey, Kakashi immediately downed it in one gulp. He decided against dissuading the bartender from the idea of him taking advantage of a drunken girl, thinking it was more trouble than it was worth.

"I think I'll take her home," he murmured.

"Be careful on the way," the bartender whispered, winking at him from over the counter.

Kakashi frowned behind his mask and took the girl's arm, tossing it over his shoulder. _Much more trouble than this is worth. _At least she seemed to hold her liquor quite well. After all those glasses, she was still able to walk without stumbling too much. However, she also seemed to be on the brink of consciousness. Already, he could hear her mumbling nonsense under her breath.

"Again," he said, turning to the bartender, "I'll have a friend come back and pay my bill."

With a sigh, he began to make his way through the thickening crowd, trying not to let anyone step on the girl's toes, as well as trying not to be inappropriately touched by random people. It only occurred to him that he'd forgotten to hide his chakra when he heard a familiar voice yell.

"Kakashi! There you are!"

The Jounin tried to pretend he hadn't heard the call, but someone pulled him back. He took a deep breath and turned around slowly. This woman really made escaping difficult.

"And I see you've found a nice girl," Genma said with a grin. "Good for you! I knew you could do it."

He decided to at least do _some _clearing up. "This is not what it loo-"

Genma stopped him by putting a hand to his face. "No, no need to thank me. I just wanted to help an old friend find happiness. That is all."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Genma, the bartender back there's looking for you. If you get a chance, go back there and see what's going on."

After forcing him through such an ordeal, it was only fair that the guy would pay for his drinks. He only had two glasses anyway; not a big price to pay.

All the while, he ignored the two others who hadn't spoken a word on account of gawking. Explaining anything here really was a waste of time. It was high time to go home, the best place to read at night. He nodded at the three men, then continued through the door without another word.

Genma smirked and turned to face his two companions. "Pay up, gentlemen. I got Hatake Kakashi to come to the pub _and _leave with a girl."

Grumbling, Aoba and Raido dug through their pockets for their wallets and slapped some money into their cunning friend's extended hand.

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**End Chapter 2  
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A/N: **This took longer than expected... but I worked long and hard yesterday. Kind of. Actually, this chapter was going to be a lot long, but I ended up chopping off the last bit. I'll save that for next time. ;) Much love to KakaTen fans.

As always, **R&R** please~


	3. Unexpected Intrusions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of its characters

**Previously:**_ Kakashi begins to feel the pangs of middle-aged single men (or so Genma thinks), and he's forced to visit a pub, where he meets—and has the pleasure of taking home—a young woman who looks oddly familiar. _

_

* * *

--  
_**Chapter 3: **Unexpected Intrusions**  
**--

As soon as they left the pub, Kakashi made a mental note to never go drinking again. Alcohol. The stuff smelled bad, tasted bad, and even looked bad sometimes. Not only that, people even have to suffer from second-hand drinking. He may have only had one glass, but he was guaranteed the meeting of a drunk broad. There was always a guarantee of meeting someone drunk. Because of that possibility, there is no reason to go drinking. Ever.

"What nice friends you got," the girl mumbled. "'fraid I can't say th' same 'bout mine."

Kakashi sighed, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her. Her ability to walk—and talk—was steadily getting worse. That Genma knows how to put him in a tough situation. Paying for the drinks wasn't at all suitable as a punishment.

It was probably too much to hope that Genma and his friends would keep their mouths shut about this. Word would get out about that barely dressed, drunken young woman Kakashi took out of the pub, and he wouldn't be allowed to live it down. At least he didn't walk out with an drunken young man. That would produce some even more interesting rumors.

When the girl made an odd noise, Kakashi stopped and led her to the side of a nearby bench. As he predicted, she immediately emptied her stomach while he managed to avoid any bits that threatened to splash onto his feet.

"Can you still walk?" he asked, pulling her hair back as she straightened up against the bench.

She gave a snort and started stumbling ahead. "'course I can. 'm not _that _weak."

What an awful smell. He sighed again when she tripped over her heels and fell.

"Tch," he heard her say, "Damn shoes." She kicked off her uncomfortable footwear and glared at them.

Enough was enough. Before she could object, he threw her arms over his shoulders, balanced her on his back, and swooped down to pick up her shoes. She struggled for a moment, then relaxed against him and hugged his neck tightly.

Since walking was no longer a problem, Kakashi began to think about where this girl lived. He'd never seen her around before, so he figured she didn't live too close to him or the areas he frequented. Asking her for directions to her home would definitely prove to be a headache, and he wanted to avoid taking her to his home.

The girl snuggled against him. "When'd Sensei come t' be so kind?" That smell really was awful. "Nothin' like that Hyuga Neji."

Finally. A name to work with. Hyuga Neji was that kid Naruto fought with during the Chunin Exams—the one that went on and on about fate. He was one of Gai's students. The boy was out of the question, though; it would be a terrible idea to deliver a drunken young woman to the Hyuga estate. Causing a ruckus was something to be avoided.

However, if she knew one of Gai's students, there was a good chance she knew someone in the former Rookie nine as well.

"Do you have any friends who live nearby?" he asked, hoping she was still conscious.

She gave no reply, and her grip on his neck was loosening. Not a good sign. She definitely wasn't listening now.

All he wanted to do today was read a nice book in a quiet part of the village.

"Knew th' plan wasn't gonna work... 'm never lettin' Sakura..."

As soon as his ears picked up "Sakura," he immediately began sprinting toward the pink-haired girl's home. He hoped with all his might that this girl was talking about the Sakura he knew. "Sakura" wasn't _that_ popular of a name anyway.

And even if Sakura didn't know this girl, he'd just dump her into Sakura's hands anyway. Sakura was caring enough, whereas he couldn't give a damn... kinda. Maybe he shouldn't have given a damn in the first place. Escorting a young woman home—when'd he get to be so gentlemanly? It was cramping his nonchalant style.

Before long, the apartment was coming into view. Kakashi quickened his pace, thankful that the girl on his back was quiet and sleeping soundly. Her grip had strengthened significantly on the way, and she was still hanging onto his neck pretty tightly, even in slumber.

Standing before the door, he gave three short raps, then waited for the familiar color of pink. His hands held the girl's legs in place on his hips as he waited for sweet salvation.

_Stomp-stomp-stomp-stomp. _The door was thrown open before Kakashi could even think about the time of night.

Sakura gasped before glaring daggers at the Copy Ninja. "Kakashi! What do you think you're doing here? It's almost midnight!"

Kakashi opened his mouth, then closed it. Why bother explaining? Sakura probably wouldn't believe him anyway; she never does. He turned around and pulled the girl's arms from his neck, allowing her to fall into Sakura's quick-to-react arms.

"What's this about, Kakashi?" Sakura pressed, pulling the girl's body through the door and onto her couch. "Some one night stand that couldn't stay at home?"

Her temper was growing with her voice, and he could hear it. Too bad he was used to it.

"I'm just helping a young woman out."

"I bet sex with you is more of a problem than help." She turned to him and put on a defiant stance.

Kakashi sighed. "She looked vulnerable and alone at a bar. I was helping her out of a dangerous situation. You know how suspicious those bartenders are."

Sakura's glaring frown suddenly turned bright and amused. She even started laughing. Women certainly have strange senses of humor.

"I've never seen Kakashi so caring or defensive in all my years as a ninja!" she said between breathless giggles.

He rolled his eyes and watched her as she calmed herself down.

"Poor thing." Sakura turned to look at girl sleeping ignorantly on the couch, then let out a soft gasp.

The silence that followed became awkward as the pair looked at the sleeping girl. Kakashi couldn't help but clear his throat.

"That girl looks like she had the worst day of her life," he said when Sakura took no notice.

"Her name is Tenten," she replied, glancing back at him. "I think it's best if you left."

All at once, Kakashi was being pushed out of the door with Sakura's excited hands making a short waving movement. She uttered a quick "good night" before giving him a quick grin and shutting the door in his face.

Standing before the door to Sakura's apartment, a puzzled Kakashi scratched his head. His nameless drinking companion finally had a name. Tenten... He was fairly sure Maito Gai once had a student named Tenten. That would explain why she knew the Hyuga boy. But that girl never wore anything skimpy. Oh, how people change...

With a shrug, Kakashi turned on his heels and started for home. The day had surprisingly turned out to be exhausting, and his bed was calling out to him with such a sweet, enticing voice. He'd find Tenten and get her to pay him back tomorrow.

It wasn't until he was standing before his own front door before he looked down and realized he was still carrying the girl's shoes.

* * *

No one should ever be put through torture like this in the morning—not with a pounding head, at least.

"What were you thinking, Tenten?!" Sakura's loud, booming voice resonated through Tenten's ears. "I mean Kakashi, of all people, as a rebound!"

"Sakura, please," Tenten groaned, grasping her head, "I can hear without you screaming. And besides, he wasn't a rebound; he was just there."

_ Oh yeah, that sounded convincing. _Sakura didn't look at all convinced. But that was all Tenten had; she couldn't remember anything else.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and approached Tenten, exaggerating each step and making her feel more and more uncomfortable.

"What exactly did you say to him?" she asked, hovering over Tenten's tangled mess of brown hair. "It's not every day the great Kakashi takes a drunk girl home. In fact, I don't think he's _ever _taken a drunk anything home."

Tenten stared up into her friend's eyes and made a face. How was she supposed to know why the great Kakashi did anything? Maybe he just felt an extra sliver of kindness that night.

"I don't exactly know how to answer that question, Sakura."

Sakura retaliated with a "yeah, whatever" look before taking a seat beside her hungover friend.

"At least you're not still dying over that whole Neji rejecting you thing." Sakura turned to Tenten and gave her a bright smile. "All I can see that's worrying your pretty little face is that horrendous hangover you must have."

Tenten scowled at the joke and buried her face into her hands. _Someone just kill me now. _It was high time she went home and got some decent sleep.

"Thanks for taking care of me last night. I'll go ahead and get out of your hair now."

Her friend gave her a concerned look before shrugging her shoulders. "No problem, Ten. You watch yourself on the way home, 'kay?"

Tenten wave her hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you later."

"Gimme a call when you start feeling better."

"Alright, Sakura. Way to sound like my mother." But really, she was a great, caring friend, aside from when she decided to give love advice.

Sakura gave Tenten a small smile and ushered her out the door. As she waved goodbye, she called out, "You should also thank Kakashi whenever you see him again. It was way kind of him to bring you here, you know?"

"Okay, _Mom_. I'll keep that in mind."

Grumbling under her breath, Tenten waved one last time before running off and disappearing around a corner.

"My little baby's growing up so fast," Sakura said with a sniffle. Giggling to herself in amusement, she closed the door.

* * *

It felt great to be home and in her own bed again. Immediately after returning home, Tenten pulled off her troublesome attire and tossed the clothes onto the floor before throwing on a nice, loose t-shirt. She noticed her lack of shoes after leaving Sakura's house, but it didn't really matter; she'd never wear them again anyway.

With a swift movement, Tenten was snuggling up in her covers and sighing into her pillow. The comfort almost made her forget about the headache that still accompanied her hangover. Her tired eyes drifted over to her bedside clock.

2:07PM

Neji was probably fuming under a tree at the grounds right about now.

"He'll just have to suck it up," she muttered, pulling the covers over her head.

It was dark and suffocating under the sheets, but she was far too tired to care. All she wanted to do was just knock herself out. Breathing in, she let her eyes droop.

* * *

_ "Please," she whispered between drunken breaths. "Please..."_

_ A shadowed figure loomed over her body, his face inching so close that she could feel his words on her cheek._

_ "'Please' what?" he asked, running his hands over her bare, sweat-drenched skin. _

_ She shuddered under the touch, feeling her cheeks burn at his teasing tone. With her legs around his waist, she arched her back and pressed her body against his. _

_ "Don't make me say it," she whimpered. "You know what I want."_

_ A low chuckle sounded in her ears. "I just want to hear you say it."_

_ "Touch me..."_

_ "I can't hear you."_

_ "Please, just..."_

_ "Louder."_

_ "Touch me!"_

* * *

Tenten sat up, breathing hard and sweating. Her fingers gripped the covers that had wound and tangled around her legs.

"Tenten?"

Her eyes shot up and toward the door to meet a bewildered, white-eyed stare. _No. Way. _She didn't say anything out loud, did she?

After a moment, her mind registered the situation. "Neji!" she yelped, quickly pulling her legs up to her chest. "Why didn't you knock?!"

He frowned. "I did. You didn't answer."

Bastard, acting all cool and collected even after what happened the day before. He could at least show _some _kind of humility.

"Couldn't you just try knocking a couple more times?"

"I was concerned, since you didn't show up this morning."

She stared up at him. "Well, thank you for your concern. I'm fine; you can leave now."

Neji folded his arms across his chest, not looking away from her eyes for a second. "Why are you so bitter?" His brows furrowed as he sniffed the air. "Are you drunk?"

"_Was _drunk," she corrected, throwing off the covers and swinging her feet over to the floor. "I was out drinking last night, and now I have a hangover."

"That is very unbecoming of you, Tenten. When did you start drinking?"

She scoffed. "I started drinking last night. Why do you even care?"

"You are my teammate, and I'm concerned for your well-being."

"I'm sure."

He reached out and grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn and face him. "Why are you acting this way?"

Under his stare, Tenten couldn't keep her tears from building up under her lashes. "Please, just leave me alone. I'm not feeling well."

As he watched her eyes flood with unshed tears, he released his grip, letting his arms fall helplessly to his sides. Through her tears, Tenten stared at the floor as he took hesitant steps away from her and out the room. She heard the door open and close.

"As if the day wasn't bad enough already," she grumbled, sniffling and wiping her eyes with her hands.

She cleared her throat after collecting herself and fell back onto her bed, face first. Maybe she'd get to go back to that dream she was having. It was the only highlight of her morning, after all. Even if it did cause her more embarrassment.

* * *

_The feeling was just right: him holding on to her, and her calling out his name in ecstasy. The shadows continued to mask his face, but she paid no mind. All she could think about was the immense pleasure he inflicted onto her each time his fingers touched her sensitive skin._

_ "Amazing," he grunted, his arms on either side of the fall and rise of her bosom. "You're too good to be true."_

_ The moonlight peaked through the gaps of the satin curtains, allowing strips of illumination to fall on their rocking bodies. _

_ She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed. "I must be dreaming."_

_ His hips stopped for a moment to allow him to lean down and place a tentative kiss on her soft pink lips. __She looked up and gazed at his face, now revealed in the dim moonlight. Her hand ran through his wild silver hair, then down his face, her finger trailing down the scar that ran over his red eye. _

_ "You _are _dreaming."_

* * *

Tenten squinted up at the ceiling and held up a hand to try and block the rays of sunlight that flooded in through the opened curtains. _When did I open the curtains?_ She sat up and glanced at the clock.

5:23PM. Two hours of undisturbed sleep, and she still wasn't feeling up to speed.

Upon kicking away the covers, her legs shuddered in the breeze that suddenly blew in. Was the window open? It was. _I certainly didn't open the windows. _Shrugging, she ran her hands up and down her legs to warm them, then went to close the windows.

"Oh, good morning."

"Good morning, Kakashi," she replied with a yawn.

She heard a chuckle and, realizing the abnormality of her current situation, slowly turned to face Hatake Kakashi as he sat nonchalantly in a nearby chair, legs propped up on a desk and hands holding a little orange book.

First of all, it's not morning; it's way past that by now. Secondly, Tenten is in a loose t-shirt and underwear in the presence of a middle-aged closet pervert, and that previous breeze made her chest give a perky 'hello!' Thirdly—and most importantly—Hatake Kakashi was sitting in her room beside her bed, reading a book and seemingly minding his own business. There was something wrong with this picture.

"Please tell me I'm dreaming," Tenten whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

Kakashi closed his book and pushed it into his pocket before folding his hands over his stomach. "No, you _were _dreaming, but I kind of woke you up by telling you that you were. Oddly enough, you even _asked _me if you were dreaming while you were dreaming."

He chuckled under his breath, letting her know that he was highly amused with himself. Tenten looked up and shook her fist at the ceiling. 'Just kill me now!' she mouthed.

"Now, excuse me while I get dressed," she said, gesturing to the door.

Kakashi blinked at her before taking the hint to get up and leave the room. As soon as his foot was out of the way, Tenten slammed the door shut and sank to the floor, laughing nervously to herself.

"Just breathe, Tenten," she said, "I'm just having a really bad day, and Kakashi's just here for no real reason. It's not like he's going to remind you of how you must have acted like a complete idiot at the bar last night, no way."

Besides, he probably knows very well that alcohol makes people blather about silly stuff, and it's no reason to make a judgment on someone who's drunk. She probably didn't even say anything stupid last night. Yeah, he probably just wants to talk about a mission or something.

Tenten quickly threw on a bra, a well-fitting shirt, and some pants before opening the door and properly greeting her visitor. "So what can I do for you, Sensei?"

"No need to call me 'Sensei.' We're pretty much equals now, and it makes me feel old when I'm only a few years older than you."

_Sorry to break it to ya, but you're more than just _a few_ years older. _

"Okay. What do you need, Kakashi? Was it so urgent that you had to break into my apartment?"

He brought his hand up to the back of his head and grinned sheepishly through his mask. "I didn't want to seem suspicious, knocking on a young lady's door so late."

Tenten folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. _It's not late, and you probably looked a lot more suspicious climbing in through my window. _

He cleared his throat. "Anyway," he continued, "When I took you to Sakura's house, I forgot to give you these." He lifted a pair of sleek black stilettos and handed them to her.

Taking them into her hands, Tenten furrowed her brow and tossed them aside. "Thanks, I really appreciate it."

The two stood in awkward silence. Tenten looked up at her masked visitor and quirked a brow. He returned her gaze with a blank expression.

"Do you need something else, Kakashi?"

He turned his head as if he were trying to remember something, then nodded curtly. "Actually, Sakura told me to ask you to a movie."

His reply caught her off guard, and her mouth hung open for a second. "Wait, with you or her?"

"With me."

"Why did Sakura tell you to do that?"

He shrugged. "She said something about cheering you up and how she was too busy to do so herself."

How considerate of her, but why Kakashi? The jerk couldn't even just ask her out to a movie without letting her know it was out of an obligation to his ex-student.

"If it's alright with you, we can just pretend we went out. Saves us both some time, right?"

_Jerk. _Tenten narrowed her eyes and curled her hands into fists. He couldn't even pretend to have some interest in spending time with her.

"You know what?" she said at last, "I think I'll take you up on your offer. It'd be nice to go out tonight."

Kakashi raised a finger and opened his mouth to object, then fell silent. Obligation to his ex-student. Serves him right. Maybe she could even have some fun torturing him in the meantime.

"I'll just go fix my hair, then we can leave."

He opened his mouth again to say something.

"Don't worry, you can just wear that; I don't mind."

His mouth clamped shut as he gave in. "I'll be waiting outside."

She flashed him an alluring smile before disappearing into her room, leaving him speechless and baffled.

--  
**End Chapter 3  
**--

* * *

**A/N: **Been a while, huh? Well, in hopes of making up for it, this chapter's really long. Well... in _my_ opinion it's really long. Hope you liked Tenten's dreaming. Those continuing dreams are the best, huh? xD

I've got a lot of dialogue here; hope that doesn't bother anyone. I'll be visiting my cousins next week, and hopefully she'll be able to help me edit my stuff.

As always, **R&R** please~


	4. Binding Contract

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters

**Previously:**_ Tenten finally makes her way home to get some rest, but is interrupted first by Neji, then Kakashi, who presents an interesting opportunity to bring up her mood._

* * *

--  
**Chapter 4: **Binding Contract  
--

Why did he agree to do this in the first place? It wasn't like he owed Sakura any favors... that he knew of. Yet here he was, walking side-by-side with Tenten, the Weapon Mistress of Konoha. It basically felt like a pity date. Except Kakashi wasn't the one pitying her; he was just forced to comply.

Yes, he was forced. No, he didn't owe Sakura anything, but she had a hostage. Somehow, between last night and today, Sakura managed to kidnap his entire _Icha Icha _book series, save for the first volume, which he'd finished in Tenten's apartment and had resting snugly in his pocket.

There was no justice in the world—none at all. He was kind enough to offer his precious time to make sure a vulnerable girl was taken care of, and what did he get in return? Oh yes, a few of his most prized possessions were taken from him and then used against him. Nope, no justice at all.

"Are you hungry?" Tenten asked, looping a skinny arm around his elbow.

Kakashi frowned and carefully pulled his arm from her grasp. "Not particularly. I ate a hefty lunch before I went to find you."

"Oh, okay."

She sounded somewhat disappointed, but that didn't matter. She could have just agreed to pretend they'd gone out. Also, he had the unshakable feeling that this girl was only bothering him out of some kind of spite. Just a little game to see who would get fed up first, perhaps. With kids these days, who knows?

"So what movie do you want to see?"

Her eyes twinkled with cunning ideas as she eagerly awaited his answer. He smirked under his mask, glad she couldn't see that he was onto her master plan.

"I hear the new _Icha Icha _movie is still showing..."

He saw her make a face as she shook her head. "No way. What else is there?"

"I'm afraid I don't think anything else is worth watching these days."

She sighed dejectedly. "But I've already seen that one."

Kakashi stopped in his tracks and stared at her.

"What?" she asked, turning around. "Don't give me that look; I'm old enough to watch those kinds of movies."

He said nothing and continued to walk, taking longer strides to catch up with her. The pair said nothing for some time, and the silence was becoming nerve-wracking, even for him.

"What did you think of it?" Kakashi said at last.

"About what?"

He rolled his eyes. "The movie." What else could he possibly be asking about?

"Oh... It was alright."

"Hm." Amateur. _Just alright. _She knew nothing about good movies.

She gave him a shrug. "I mean, it's not really my cup of tea, you know? I'd rather watch a thriller. Action-packed movies are the best."

Small talk. This conversation was definitely headed in that direction, and oh, how he hated it. Still, it probably wouldn't be wise to act rude. No doubt she'd report to Sakura after this, being a girl and all... and to be sure, there would be Hell to pay if the report was bad. Let's not even talk about the possible gossip that might emerge amongst the other Jounin.

Right about now, Kakashi was beginning to see this ordeal as one of those odd Rank C missions he did for spare change or kicks. As he walked alongside the weapon-oriented kunoichi, he started to formulate different plans of action in his mind. Play along... Ignore her... Run away... That last option was sounding mighty friendly.

"You know..." Tenten trailed off as her stomach let out a growl. "On second thought, I think I'd rather eat something after all."

Kakashi spared her a glance and rolled his eyes. "Did you eat nothing at all today?"

"Great deduction, Sensei."

He sighed. "Where do you want to eat?"

Stopping to search for a restaurant, the masked Jounin could feel Tenten's surprised eyes scrutinizing him. Having no idea what caused her surprise, he ignored her stare and continued earnestly searching for a place for them to stop and eat. Honestly. It was hours past lunch; why didn't she eat some breakfast or something?

"Does that place look good?" he asked, turning to face her.

Thank goodness she wasn't gawking at him anymore.

"I've never been there, but it'll do."

"Good, let's go." Maybe a light snack would do his irritation some good.

* * *

Upon entering the restaurant, Kakashi's nose was immediately greeted with the delicious scent of ramen, curry, and other foods being cooked. Yeah, this was probably a good idea after all. Better wasting money here than at some movie.

"It smells so good in here," he heard Tenten say with a content sigh. Her stomach voiced its agreement.

Saying nothing in reply, he walked ahead and took a seat at the closest unoccupied table. He then looked up at her expectantly. She took the hint and followed behind, taking a seat and offering him a shy smile from across the table.

"Evening. Here're your menus. I'll be back in a minute."

The waiter spoke hastily and wasted no time. Kakashi was enjoying this manner of service—as rude as it would seem for other people—because he wanted to just sit down, order, eat, and leave as quickly as possible. He picked up his menu and dragged a lazy eye over the choices.

"Shikamaru?" Tenten asked, leaning out of her chair.

The waiter stopped and looked back at her, brows up with surprise. His sharp eyes blinked twice before seemingly registering her face. "Tenten?"

Her face brightened for the first time today as Shikamaru returned to their table. This was just great. Now they were going to start talking and making conversation.

"How did this happen?" Shikamaru asked, looking from Tenten to Kakashi.

_That's what _I'd _like to know... _

"Well, you see—"

Shikamaru raised a hand to stop her and shook his head. "Know what? Never mind. I don't really want to know."

_Attaboy, Nara. _Tenten smiled and uttered a short apology before pressing him to go back to work and return with some real service. Kakashi continued to look through the contents of the menu, not bothering to keep the disinterest from showing through his eyes.

"I didn't know that Shikamaru was even capable of working outside of the ninja world," Tenten laughed, clasping her hands together over the table.

"Hm."

"I guess even he needs some kind of way to pass the time, though I would've thought a guy like him would just stay at home playing Shogi instead of actually _working_."

Kakashi closed his menu, set it down, and folded his hands over it. "Perhaps a person such as him would grow tired of playing such a game without a challenging opponent."

As Tenten considered his remark, Kakashi looked around, searching for Shikamaru. Enough was enough; he was so ready to get through this "lunch date." Since he was going for a "quick and painless" with the girl, this minor speed bump was almost frustrating. Finally catching Shikamaru's attention, Kakashi motioned him over with a curt toss of the head.

"You guys ready?" he asked, approaching their table and reaching into his pocket for a pen and notepad.

In one breath, Kakashi gave his short order, then looked over at Tenten, hoping she would just give her order and not make anymore small talk with their waiter. He watched as she fumbled with her menu and realized she hadn't been paying much attention to deciding on her meal. That's the second speed bump for the hour.

"I'll just, uh..." she paused and glanced up at Kakashi. "I'll have what he's having."

Kakashi raised a brow and stared at her. "Are you sure?" he asked, resting an arm on the table. "I have an eccentric taste in foods."

Seeing the wild look in her eyes, he guessed Tenten took that as a challenge. _Great. _

"I like my food extremely spicy," he corrected.

The look in her eye intensified, and it was starting to make him feel uncomfortable. Did this girl have to challenge everything? If that's how she treated every man she dated, it's no wonder that Hyuga boy wasn't interested in her. He sighed in defeat and decided to let her be, so long as she didn't waste the food she ordered.

"I'll be back with your food in a minute."

Tenten smiled."Thanks, Shikamaru." With him gone, she redirected her smile to Kakashi. "So, how was your day?"

He stared at her for a minute before replying. "Uneventful."

"Maybe you should find a girlfriend. I mean, I'm actually pretty surprised you haven't found someone yet."

Tenten's eyes glistened with interest as she spoke, and Kakashi could feel a headache coming on. Here was yet another person oddly interested in his love life. Was there nothing else _at all _to talk about? Better yet, couldn't she just sit in silence?

"Didn't you have some kind of a fling with Anko a while back?" she continued, now completely engrossed in the one-sided conversation. "Whatever happened to that? Or did that even happen at all? I was wondering about that."

Saying nothing, Kakashi turned and looked out the window, letting Tenten's imagination run wild with his nonexistent love life. This was going to be one long lunch. Where was that waiter with the food?

* * *

"So let me get this straight..." Sakura leaned back on the couch and looked up at Tenten. "He took you out, ate a late lunch, and left you with the bill as soon as he finished eating?"

Tenten shook her head. "Actually, he ended up paying all of it, then left. I could tell that he was going to leave me to pay my half, but I think I impressed him with my iron stomach."

She smiled to herself, remembering his surprised expression as she wolfed down the bowl of extra-spicy curry. It felt like a great accomplishment to see his face like that, even through the mask.

"Nevertheless," Sakura continued, "he actually _thought_ about leaving you to pay your half, even though I told him to treat you."

"Hey, come on. I've heard rumors about Kakashi. It was nice of him to have even treated me at all."

Still not convinced, Sakura pulled Tenten onto the couch beside her and frowned. "Okay, forget it. Are you feeling better about... you know... yesterday?"

Tenten gave her a wide grin. "Yeah, definitely. That outing was just what I needed, even if that Kakashi said no more than two words per sentence."

Sakura returned her grin with a sympathetic smile.

"Really, I'm grateful, and I'll be fine."

"I know you will. Neji's just some bum Hyuga anyway; we can find you another guy—a _better _guy."

"I think I'm gonna stay off the market for now, Sakura." Tenten looked down at her clenched hands and nodded, as if to reassure herself.

Sakura's smile fell for a moment before the gears in her head kicked back into gear. "Actually, no, don't do that."

Tenten gave her a curious look and watched her hop to her feet. Her suspecting eyes followed Sakura as she paced back and forth. Pacing could only mean that she was thinking up another one of her brilliant schemes. What could she possibly suggest now?

Her pacing made an abrupt stop. "Yeah, this'll be great!"

"Oh, Sakura, please don't."

Ignoring her plea, Sakura took Tenten's hands and pulled her up, beaming. "We've been looking at this situation from the wrong angle this entire time! We can't possibly understand the mind of an ignorant, oblivious block of wood like Neji." The look on her face was priceless, as if she'd just come to her senses. "The only way we can appeal him is to understand his taste, and the only way we can understand his taste is to get help from someone just like him. It's so obvious!"

Tenten couldn't help herself. "Who would we ask?" She wanted to smack herself for enabling her excited friend.

"Who do you think, Ten?"

Tenten stared at Sakura as her mind drew a blank. "Uh... Sasuke? He's a block of wood too, right?"

Sakura frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "No, I chipped through that block of wood already. We're talking about someone closer to home."

Closer to home? Tenten didn't really consider many people "close to home." She could only think of Neji and...

"LEE?" she asked, bewildered by the very idea. "He is, by no means_ whatsoever, _a block of wood. More like a stick of dynamite..."

"Tenten, you're really slow sometimes."

"Then who're you--"

"Kakashi."

"Kakashi," Tenten repeated, searching Sakura's face for an inkling of a joke. "Like, the one who never really talks or goes out or gives advice?"

A smirk split across her pink-haired friend's face. "Yeah, that one."

"The one who just hours ago was so unwilling to even accompany me to a movie? _That _Kakashi? Why would he do me any more favors?"

"My dear Tenten, you _just _said that you two got along today."

_No, I definitely didn't use those words at all in this conversation. _She always did have a problem with twisting words.

"Let's just say," she continued, "I've got some leverage over him." Sakura's eyes flickered over to a cupboard across the room, next to a wall of pots and pans in the kitchen. "I took just about all of his _Icha Icha _books as hostages. I even put up some spring traps on the doors."

"You," Tenten started, crossing her arms and taking a step toward her friend. "You are a very cunning person."

"And?" Sakura asked, beaming.

"_And_ you're a magnificent friend."

"That's what _I'm _talkin' about!"

Sakura pulled her into a tight hug, hopping up and down with childish excitement. She made Tenten feel like a teenager again, when everything was all about crushes and cute boys. Tenten shrugged her shoulders and thought, _What the hell? _It wasn't like she could do any more damage than wearing a skimpy outfit to parade around the most stoic Hyuuga in the village.

Besides, this promised to be fun. Kakashi was always a curious man, and maybe Tenten could learn a thing or two from him. Heck, she could probably incorporate some of this foolishness into future missions. Who knows?

"This is a _great _idea," Sakura squealed, spinning on her heel with delight. "Tenten, you go home for tonight. I'm going to talk to him tomorrow. This'll work like a charm!"

* * *

"You owe me."

"How? When do I owe you anything?"

"That _'date' _you took Tenten on. You actually considered making her pay?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at his ex-student. "I paid the bill—all of it."

"But you considered it!" Sakura retorted, jabbing him roughly in the chest. "I told you specifically to _treat _her."

"You didn't," he said, frowning through his mask. "You told me to take her out. There was no specificity for me to treat her."

"Regardless! It was implied."

"In no way was a free meal implied, Sakura."

"Whatever. The contract was broken, and I maintain the right to keep your books."

_What? _This woman was speaking nonsense. "What contract? Sakura, stop jerking me around. I want my books returned."

The look she gave him sounded an alarm in his mind, and the damage he'd seen her do on brick walls in the past was enough to convince him that there was no negotiating with her now. Her fuse was short enough to begin with, and he'd like to walk out of this little meeting with all of his limbs intact.

He decided to give in and sighed. "What do you want from me?"

Her frown disappeared and was instantly replaced with a sly grin. "We need your advice."

Kakashi blinked at her. _Advice?_ That's all she wanted from him? She took his books and held them hostage for... advice. And who was this "we"? Did she have some kind of army to train to rid the already-mediocre world of the greatest books known to mankind? Something wasn't adding up right, and it was beginning to make him worry.

"Who's 'we,' and what kind of advice?" he asked, staring her down with a wary eye. He hoped with all his might that she only wanted some kind of help with a new jutsu she was learning with a friend.

"Love advice," she replied with an air of nonchalance.

His eyes widened at her response. He almost shook his head, thinking he must have heard wrong. "I'm sorry, come again?"

He swore her grin grew wider. "Tenten and I need your advice on love."

--  
**End Chapter 4  
**--

* * *

**A/N: **Same excuse as always for why this took so long. :B I swear I need better time management skills. Like a plan... write at least three words per night. LOL. I tried hard to keep Kakashi in character. (I had to delete a lot of his dialogue. D;) I think I gave up on keeping Sakura in character, hahaa.

Until next time. :) And, of course, please **R&R**~


	5. Lesson One

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters

**Previously:**_ When Tenten's "lunch date" with Kakashi ends not-so-disastrously, Sakura continues to take advantage of her leverage over Kakashi._

_

* * *

_

--  
**Chapter 5: **Lesson One  
--

What was it about spring that had everyone buzzing about, looking for romance and love? Perhaps it was the illustrious wild flowers that dotted the grass along the road, or the charming bluebirds singing that sweet little tune. Everywhere you looked, couples were laughing, cuddling, kissing. The season just set the mood; it made sense for people to be so _affectionate._

But that was exactly why Kakashi was so baffled. Spring was gone, and summer was reaping it's vengeance on the happy, lovey-dovey people of the world with its sweltering heat and stuffy, dry air. Matchmaking should have been at the bottom of everyone's list right about now. The rank smell and oily touch of sweat should be turning people off from even thinking about coming in contact with the opposite sex—or even the same sex, for that matter.

Reading in a dimly lit room with the fan blasting at your face: that's where he wanted to be. Instead he found himself in the stuffy living room of Sakura's home, wondering why in the world the air conditioner was off. He'd considered stripping off a few layers of his ninja garb, but he knew better. He'd probably need all of his gear to escape this situation, and it would be terrible if he left something in a hurry. Sakura had enough leverage over him.

"You want anything to drink Sensei?" Sakura called from the other room.

"No, I'm fine."

At the moment, Sakura was keeping herself busy in the kitchen, making pastries of some kind as they waited for Tenten, his "love pupil," as she put it. Kakashi was confined to the living room to keep an eye out for Tenten, in case Sakura's cooking kept her from hearing the knocking.

Speaking of which... _knock, knock, knock. _

Kakashi lifted himself from the couch and approached the door, trying to keep his feet from dragging behind him. He reached for the doorknob and hesitated, wondering for the fifth time that day if he was falling into some trap. Nevertheless, the door swung open.

"Oh, hey Kakashi."

There she stood, small, toned, and sweaty. A wave of warm wind flowed into the room as she walked in, making Kakashi grimace. As if it were possible to make the room any warmer.

Tenten took a quick look around before turning to face him. "Where's Sakura?"

He motioned his head toward the kitchen. "She's baking."

Her lips formed an "oh" as she flopped down onto the couch. "Wow, it's really hot today, huh?"

Giving a curt nod, he took a seat beside her and made sure to give at least two feet of space between them on the spacious couch.

"Doesn't she have a fan or something?" she asked, more to herself than to him. "The heat's insane."

_Says the one wearing a tank top and shorts. _Kakashi shifted in his seat and restrained himself from just going out and streaking. Tenten gave him a knowing and sympathetic smile before turning her attention to the kitchen doorway, where Sakura'd emerged with a plate of cookies. Dressed in a light yellow tank, jean shorts, and a bright pink apron, she hopped to the couch and offered the pair her cookies.

"Hey, Ten," she said with a song in her voice, "I didn't hear you come in. Cookie? They're oatmeal." She spoke as if the heat wasn't bothering her at all—Kakashi admired her for that.

Tenten nodded and accepted the offer graciously. "I didn't know you liked to bake. Did you just start learning?"

Sakura positioned herself between the two on the couch and placed the cookies on the coffee table, laughing as she did so. "Actually, funny story: I didn't start until a few weeks ago. Ino said it might help with my temper." She paused to take off her apron and folded it across her lap. "Don't know what she meant about the temper thing, but I figured I'd try it out anyway. Found out that I liked it, so I'm going to keep doing it." She smiled at Tenten and shrugged. "And from the look of the crumbs on your shirt, I take it you don't mind me baking."

The girls shared a giggle as Kakashi sighed and rested his chin on his hand. He suddenly felt the need to take up Sakura's earlier drink offer.

"Do you have anything cold?" he asked in a lazy voice.

Sakura swung her shoulders around, almost surprised to see him there since he'd been so quiet. "You mean to drink?"

He nodded slowly, not surprised she'd forgotten his presence. "Actually, let me rephrase that question. Why am I here?"

"Oh, right!" Sakura hopped back to her feet and clapped her friends together. "I thought it'd be nice for us to formalize an agreement and begin Tenten's transformation."

He frowned through his mask. "I appreciate you wanting to get this started quickly, but I'm still confused as to what exactly I'm doing."

He could swear that he saw her eyes flash. "I'm glad you asked that." Pulling a mental list from her head, Sakura returned to her seat and began to explain her ideas. "First of all, you, Kakashi, will tell Tenten your type of girl: what you like to see, hear, feel, whatever."

From the corner of his eye, Kakashi saw Tenten shifting uncomfortably and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Next," she continued, "You're going to go out for a practice date and explain to her how she needs to act, what she needs to say, and how she needs to look." She paused for a breath and to gather her thoughts. "Finally, we're going to pick out a random guy out of our age group—preferably similar to Neji in nature—and have her work her new-found magic on him. Sound good?"

_Absolutely wonderful. Wonderfully painstaking. Painstakingly detailed. _

"Sounds good to me," Tenten replied with a small smile. "Guess we should start with Kakashi's type."

Still thinking up different adjectives and phrases to describe Sakura's plan, Kakashi turned to the girls and feigned thoughtfulness. All he had to do was make up a few characteristics that might interest a guy and satisfy the girls at the same time. Then again, Sakura was always pretty good at seeing through his lies... _Looks like I might actually have to give this some thought._

So Kakashi gave it some thought. And he thought. And then he realized, as quickly as he could, that he didn't really have a "type" when it came to women.

"I don't have a type," he confessed.

Sakura frowned at him and folded her arms across her chest. "Impossible. Everyone has a type, Sensei. For example, I like the silently strong, level-headed, dark guys."

Kakashi stared blankly at her. _That basically defines Sasuke. No surprise there. _

"Ino likes a guy with a good ear, a great smile, and an even better body."

_Does that kind of guy even exist?_

"And Tenten likes the guys who are stubborn, proud, and ridiculously whipped by his family."

_That was probably the most subtle insult I've ever heard. _Tenten must have agreed, because she shot Sakura a glare and punched her lightly on the arm.

"Thanks, Sakura. I appreciate your support," she said in playful sarcasm.

Sakura smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "You know I love you."

The two burst into giggles once again, and Kakashi could do nothing but wonder why women responded this way at almost everything. Maybe it was just a girl thing, both the giggling and the categorizing of men into "types." These were among many things he and most other men would never understand.

He figured that he was still wearing a blank expression, for Sakura's brows were knit with impatience.

"Look, how about you just list some things you'd like a girl to do."

A light bulb almost went off in his head. If she'd phrased it that way earlier, it would have saved them all some time and confusion. Listing preferable characteristics in the opposite sex was an easy thing to do...

"Girls should be quiet..." he started, giving it some genuine thought. "Let's see... quiet, peaceful, serene, tranquil..." He started numbering his replies off on his fingers. "Untalkative, hushed—"

"Kakashi," Tenten interrupted, raising a finger. "You do realize you're just listing the same basic trait over and over again."

He raised an eyebrow. "Am I?"

Sakura nodded in agreement. "All I got was that you like quiet girls."

"Well, I _do _enjoy peaceful females."

"Anything else?" The two girls leaned into him expectantly, feeding the discomfort growing in his stomach as beads of sweat ran down his brow.

_They're not satisfied! Think, think, think! _"Girls should also be understanding."

"And?"

"And not clingy?" He hoped that was enough.

"_And?_"

"Isn't that enough?"

Tenten leaned away and pulled Sakura back with her, giving him some space. "He's right, I think that's enough."

_Thanks for the support. Now just recommend we stop for the day. _

Sakura sighed, clearly not satisfied with his meager responses. "I guess we could work with it. So write these down, Ten. You gotta be quiet, understanding, and not clingy. That shouldn't be too hard for you, right?"

With a strange expression on her face, Tenten nodded slowly. "I think that's enough for today, Sakura. I'm sure Sensei's very busy with his Jounin duties."

_Finally! _Kakashi jumped at Tenten's suggestion and nodded vigorously. "Yes, now that I think about it, the Hokage definitely needs me to go do something today." He never thought in all his years that he'd use work as an out. "If I'm late, she'll be very angry."

"Sensei, you're always late, and you don't have anything important to do today," Sakura said, rolling her eyes. "But okay, I'll let you go for now. Keep thinking about your type, 'kay?"

Kakashi gave a quick nod and disappeared in a cloud of dust, leaving the girls to stare at an empty space on the couch beside them. Sakura turned to Tenten and shook her head.

"I bet he'd been waiting to disappear like that for a while now," Tenten snorted with a grin.

"At least the guy actually tried. I pretty much expected him to make up a bunch of bull to satisfy us. I'm kinda impressed."

Tenten tossed back her head and laughed at her friend's comment. Slowly, Sakura's feigned disappointment slipped away, and her mouth curved up into a grin as the two shared another giggle.

* * *

On her way home, with a bag of Sakura's leftover cookies in hand, Tenten began to ponder her situation. Kakashi said that he preferred women who were quiet, understanding, and "unclingy," as he put it. She thought she fit his preferences pretty well, yet he seemed to have no interest in her whatsoever. This only made it more confusing as to why Neji only saw her as a friend and teammate. If Neji's taste was anything like Kakashi's—which she suspected was the case—then there must've been a serious lack of chemistry between them after all. They'd been friends for this long, and he still hasn't even had a crush on her?

Sighing dejectedly, Tenten decided to stay away from home for now and instead searched for something to occupy her mind. Looking around, she found herself in close proximity to the Hyuga estate, so she figured it was time to pay Neji a visit.

When the gate to the Hyuga compound came into view, Tenten felt a sudden rush of heat in her ears. Her mind went back to her last encounter with the prodigy, when she had herself an embarrassing breakdown—tears and all—right in front of him. Feeling foolish, she considered going home after all.

"Tenten, is that you?"

She stopped in mid-turn and looked over her shoulder, embarrassed to have been caught trying to sneak away. "Yeah, hi!" she said, hearing herself sound a little too enthusiastic. "Good to see you, Hinata."

Hinata smiled sheepishly, realizing Tenten had wanted to get away. "Don't worry, Neji's not around right now."

"Oh... he isn't? Well, I guess I'll go home, then."

"N-no, wait!" Hinata called, reaching out to grab Tenten's arm. "I'm about to go have some lunch. Join me?"

Surprised at the Hyuga's sudden invitation, Tenten stopped and nodded her acceptance. Being friends with Neji for so long meant that she was easily acquainted with his cousin from the main branch. Sure, they shared a few laughs and didn't hesitate to exchange greetings in the street, but she never expected the girl to ask her out for lunch. Tenten had a feeling this wasn't just going to be a common, friendly lunch date, and she hoped a certain Neji would be brought up.

* * *

"What's going on with you and Neji?" Hinata asked, skipping straight to the point.

At such a direct question, Tenten started to choke on her food. Trying to clear her throat with as much elegance as possible, she replied, "What do you mean?"

"It might not be my business, but Neji came home acting strangely yesterday," she explained, taking a sip out of her tea. "He'd come home from visiting you."

"Acting strangely..." Tenten echoed. "I don't know why he would, since all he cares about is his sparring partner's health so he can perfect another move."

Hinata bit her lip and fiddled with the napkin sitting in her lap. "Th-that's not true! He cares about you."

As much as a person _can _care about an inanimate object. Sometimes Tenten really didn't know if he took her for a friend or a block of wood. "If he does care, he doesn't show it very well."

"Well, you know how he is... It's hard for him to show soft emotions." Hinata glanced up at Tenten for a moment before refocusing herself on the teacup in front of her. "He's a lonely person, and you're one of the few people who can tolerate his stubbornness."

"What exactly are you saying?" Tenten asked, feeling a hint of hope growing in her stomach.

"W-well, don't tell him I said this, but he really does care for you—m-maybe more than as a friend—and he just doesn't know how to show it, and he doesn't really mean any harm with his distance, and-"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Tenten cried, laughing. "So what I'm getting is this: Neji actually has the hots for me, but he just doesn't have the balls to tell me. Is that right?"

Hinata hesitated, not picking up on Tenten's exaggerations. "I think so..."

"Well, that changes everything."

"Thanks for taking care of him."

"No problem. Someone has to do it for him, right?"

Hinata giggled in good humor and finished off her tea. "It was nice having lunch with you, Tenten."

She nodded and smiled at Hinata. "You too. We should do this again sometime, and perhaps without any pretexts next time."

"Sounds great; just come find me any time, and we can make plans."

The girls exchanged goodbyes and, after tipping the waiter, took their separate ways. Tenten started for home in a great mood, feeling the best she'd felt all week. Lunch with Hinata gave her hope and determination, for all she needed to do, according to Hinata, was to get Neji out of his stubborn shell and to get him to come clean with his feelings. Tenten decided that whether or not he realizes his feelings would depend on her love lessons with Kakashi. He'd know what to do to make a guy like Neji open up, right? Right.

Digging her hands into her pockets, Tenten felt the bag of cookies she'd stuffed into her pockets before and pulled them out. Still feeling incredibly optimistic, she took a cookie and tossed it into her mouth, humming as she continued on her way home.

--  
**End Chapter 5  
--**

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**A/N: **So writing this chapter was pretty steady--at least when I finally started it. xD I started about last week, and spent at least half an hour almost every night trying to get _something _down. Although, I was horribly sick for about two days (and I'm still recovering, lolol!) so this is pretty much two days late. :B But hey, spring break! Don't count on early updates, though... I have some commissions to finish elsewhere. x_x;

Until next time. :) Please **R&R~**


	6. The First Day

******Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters

**Previously:**_ A surprise lunch with Hinata gives Tenten new determination and hope for what seemed like another one of Sakura's terrible ideas. _

* * *

**-  
Chapter 6: **The First Day**  
****-**

_Dear Journal,_

_Here's to another day of unnecessary "coaching" of Konoha's Weapon Mistress, Tenten. Yesterday, we covered the topic of my ideal woman—my "type," as they called it. Today Tenten is to use what I gave her to shape herself into what may be her love interest's dream lover. Strange, I always thought those girly magazines were teaching them to be themselves, and to count on the male loving them for them. Guess they're full of lies after all—I always thought as much._

_In any case, I tried to get away today... and failed again. Went around the village, trying to steer clear of where the girls typically congregate. Made the mistake of passing by the park, though. Tenten spotted me immediately and approached before I could pretend I didn't see her. So here I am, participating in Part 2 of Sakura's grand scheme. What was it again? Ah yes, Tenten reminds me that I'm to partake in a "practice date" with her today. I'm guessing Sakura expects me to pay for whatever we're doing again... I really don't understand this courtship business. All this effort just isn't worth the ti—_

"Hellooo, you there Sensei?" Tenten called, waving a hand back and forth in his face.

Kakashi snapped out of his mental journal-writing mode and blinked at the girl. "Sorry, come again?"

"I haven't even come the first time yet," she whined, forming a pout with her lower lip.

He blinked again, processing what she'd said as she slapped her knee, laughing. _That. That was a dirty joke. _Sighing at her immaturity, he turned his head away and pretended he hadn't heard her. "As you were saying..."

Tenten wiped a tear from her eye and recovered from her laughing, still letting a few chuckles leak through between breaths. "As I was saying, I think our date should include shopping."

"Shopping?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do men usually agree to go shopping during dates?"

She shrugged, unashamed of her inexperience at the sort of thing. "I don't know, maybe? You don't mind, do you? 'Cause this way I can also get some input on what kind of clothes guys like you prefer."

"I suppose..."

Her face lit up immediately following his reply. "Great! Then we can also get a bite to eat when we're done."

"Sounds delightful."

He tried not to sound too sarcastic, but the girl was too happy for her own good. No man in their right mind would agree to going shopping with a woman as a date. From what he could understand, the woman did more flirting with the cashiers than the man himself, and the man basically became a pack mule as the date dragged on. Kakashi wanted to refuse as well, but he had a heavy obligation to Sakura. To get his books back, Sakura needed to be satisfied; for Sakura to be satisfied, Tenten needed to be confident; for Tenten to be confident, Kakashi was forced to be agreeable. And so on, and so forth.

"You could at least sound _bored _instead of spiteful," Tenten muttered, turning away.

"Believe me; I'm trying."

* * *

He just couldn't sit still, hearing what he'd just heard.

"Don't worry, Cousin," Hinata said with a small smile. She was confident to the point of being able to make complete sentences without a single stutter. "I talked to Tenten yesterday; she's forgiven you."

_She's forgiven me? _Strange. He wasn't aware that she'd been blaming him for anything.

Neji raised an eyebrow, trying to maintain a calm, apathetic expression. "What had I done that needed forgiving?"

His cousin's eyes widened for a moment as she fell into a sudden state of panic. "Oh, I-I didn't mean you'd done anything wrong..." Her stutter returned. "I just figured you were a l-little harsh on her."

"What are you referring to? I have no recollection of any recent event that calls for this sort of discussion."

Her stutter worsened as her face turned a deep shade of red. "It's n-nothing recent, Neji, just the way you treat her in g-general."

His eyes hardened into a glare. What exactly had Tenten mentioned? It was apparent that she had _something _to say—something Neji assumed was so private that she'd rather go to his cousin to discuss than to say it to his face.

"What did she say?" he asked, stone-faced. "What did you tell her?"

Hinata seemed to physically shrink under his intimidation, with her arms pulled tightly to her sides and her knees pushed together. "N-nothing important! Just that you weren't mad at her or anything..."

"Why would she think I was angry?" His gaze softened, realizing he'd shown more emotion than he'd hoped.

It just didn't make sense. If anything, he was softer on her for the past few days, especially after her odd presentation at the training grounds days before. He figured she'd been going through something and didn't want to talk about it—why else would she dress in such an inappropriate fashion and debase herself with alcohol? And then the emotional breakdown she had in her home... That was also odd.

"Don't ask me," Hinata replied at last, regaining some courage. "Go find Tenten and ask her."

* * *

"What do you think looks better on me: yellow or green?"

Kakashi flipped to the next page of his book and replied without a single glance away from the text. "Green."

Tenten lowered the dresses, careful not to let them touch the floor, and put her hands on her hips. "You didn't even look up."

"I did."

"You didn't."

"Fine," he gave her a brief glance, then returned to his book. "Red."

"Huh, that's funny. I didn't even know I was holding a red dress." She held up the hangers to exaggerate her sarcasm.

Kakashi sighed and closed his book, tucking it away in his pocket. Rolling his eyes, he met her glare and pointed to a rack behind her. Tenten turned to follow the direction of his finger, then turned back with a questioning stare.

"Try it."

Without another word, she nodded and reached for the hanger supporting the red dress, returning the other two dresses to their original racks as she went. Tenten took a moment to examine Kakashi's suggestion, mouth half open in surprise at her partner's selection. _Impressive_.

Giving him an appreciative smile, she disappeared behind the changing room curtain to undress. Slipping on the light, silky dress felt like putting on a nightgown—one of those fancy, pleasing-to-the-male-eye kinds. The hem fell an inch above her knees and flowed lightly around her thighs, and the neckline reached just above the lower valley of her breasts. It accented all of her curves without making her feel naked, and Tenten loved it.

With the dress secured tightly around her body, she flung open the curtains and struck a dramatic pose. "You've got great taste."

Kakashi spared her a glance, and nodded. In the moment she'd retreated into the dressing room, he'd pulled out his book and picked right back up on the last page he was reading.

"What can I say?" he murmured, only paying half attention to the girl admiring herself in the closest mirror. "People often misjudge me."

She snorted, amused. "You mean how people always think you're a social retard and couldn't possibly be good with women, despite your devilish good looks and high renown?"

"Yeah. That."

"Well, can't blame them," she said with a shrug. "I mean, I've _never _seen you with a woman—romantically, that is. Personally, I came to the conclusion that you were either a closet pervert or a closet homosexual. Either way, you're in the closet."

With that, Kakashi closed his book and stared at her. "Homosexual..." he repeated softly.

He was less bothered by being called a pervert. Sakura's continual accusation of his being one made him all the more immune. But of all things, a homosexual...Was that really what people thought? This was sounding like more of a problem than he wanted to admit. Evidently, his avoidance of females drew more attention than he thought. All of a sudden, he felt a slight need to correct this misconception.

"Alright, I'll get this one, then!" Tenten said, breaking through his thoughts.

In an instant, Kakashi was up on his feet and pushing Tenten back into the changing room. "Okay, get your clothes, pay for the dress, and let's get going," He paused to glance down at Tenten's quizzical expression. "Actually, just leave the dress on. I need a drink."

* * *

With no questions asked, Tenten paid for the dress and followed Kakashi out to the closest club on the street. It was strange because he never struck her as the dancing or the drinking type, but she noticed a certain sense of purpose in his steps. If she knew anything about the acclaimed "Copy Ninja of Konoha," it was that he never did anything without a legitimate reason. And from the way he was half sprint-walking through the doors, it was probably pretty damn important.

"I heard from Ino that this place has the best dance floor," she mumbled, mostly to herself.

"Hm."

She picked up her pace and caught up to him as he made his way through the clusters of people. "I also heard that they have the best mixed alcoholic drinks. You know, like the colorful ones with the little umbrellas?"

After a moment of maneuvering through the club in silence, Kakashi turned around abruptly. Tenten, who was more focused on keeping her toes from the bottom of people's feet, ran face-first into his chest. Rubbing her nose with the palm of her hand, she cast him a look.

He bent over with his arms folded across his chest and stared into her face. "Tenten. Can I trust you to remain sober to keep me from unforgivable situations?"

"Uh... maybe?"

"Good enough."

He started for the bar, but spun around again. This time, Tenten kept her distance and caught herself before she impacted his chest a second time.

"Also," he continued, "no cameras. I don't want to remember a thing."

"I think that's the most you've ever said to me in two minutes," she laughed, winking and elbowing him in the side, "Just for that, I'll keep my camera to myself."

He nodded and wasted no time in giving his order at the counter. Taking a seat beside him, Tenten watched him with great curiosity. She wanted to know what was bugging her date so much that he'd race to the closest bar for a drink. For a moment she worried that he was sick of her already, but she quickly reasoned that he'd have left her in the changing room without a second glance if that were the case.

"...and don't forget the little umbrella for her," Kakashi added in a half whisper.

She smiled at his thoughtful gesture and felt more confident that he wasn't agitated from being with her. And apparently, he didn't _always_ tune her out when she talked either. The guy wasn't such a jerk if you got used to him. Or...at least when he grew to tolerate your presence.

The bartender finished mixing the beverages and passed them their drinks, sliding the glasses across the smooth counter with ease.

Kakashi, nodding his gratitude, grabbed his shot of whiskey and brought it up to his mouth. Tenten's eyes widened. She suddenly realized that this was her chance to make history; she'd be the first—or maybe one of few, she didn't really know—to see the elusive face of Hatake Kakashi. But she knew to be inconspicuous, so she leaned back in her stool and feigned apathy. The man wouldn't give away this golden opportunity if he felt she wanted it. She knew he had fun making people work to get a glimpse of his nose, his lips, his undoubtedly strong but smooth jawline...

"Tenten."

She shook her head and snapped back to reality. "Something wrong?" she asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"Not with me, no, but you haven't touched your drink."

She laughed and grabbed her glass from the counter, taking a long drink from it before slamming it back onto the counter. "What are you talking about? I'm almost done!"

She immediately regretted taking such a long swig of the alcohol. The bittersweet taste ran up her nose and stuck in her throat, making her cough. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to force down the taste, managing some success after a minute or two.

When Tenten finally opened her eyes and blinked away the blurriness, she saw Kakashi staring at her with his mask fully intact, and his glass stark dry. When did that happen?

"You okay?" he asked, completely unaware of all that had gone on in her head.

"Yes," she squeaked. She cleared her throat before continuing. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"If you say so," he shrugged, motioning for another drink from the bartender.

**-  
End Chapter 6  
-**

* * *

**A/N: **Can you guys believe I spent at least ten minutes trying to figure out a chapter title? Do you guys even read the chapter title? xD Anyway, pretty legit chapter. Nothing really happens, but it was fun to write. Had my bestest freaking buddy Connor as my beta reader, 'cause he's freaking good at this. xD TEAMWORK-DESU!

Until next time. :) Please **R&R~**


	7. Oops

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters

**Previously:**_ Kakashi and Tenten begin Part 2 of Sakura's plan, going on a legitimate practice date. However, a bruise to Kakashi's ego causes him to act a little strange..._

* * *

**-  
Chapter 7: **Oops**  
****-**

One, two, three, thirteen... Yeah, she was pretty sure he'd gone up to thirteen. Thirteen of those god-awful-smelling glasses of whiskey. What was this guy's problem, drinking like there was no tomorrow? From half an hour of trying to figure him out, the only thing she could think of was that she'd said something to set him off. What she'd said... she couldn't quite remember, and it was driving her insane. And if her confusion wasn't frustrating enough, her promise to stay sober kept her from drinking and getting drunk _with _him. That would've at least kept her busy as he drank himself into a stupor.

"Kakashi," she groaned, watching him finish his fourteenth glass. "What exactly did I do to make you act like this?"

Anyone listening in on her one-sided conversation probably thought that she was some young, dumb, desperate girlfriend trying to figure out how she managed pissed off her moody boyfriend. That was certainly the cherry to her day.

"Let's go dance, Tenten." He mumbled in a slur.

She had to admit that he could hold his liquor quite well. Even after that many shots, his sentences were more or less still well-constructed. She watched as he slid off his stool and tried to shake his head clear. It was comical. Scratch that, it was _hilarious. _Not only did the head-shaking do him no good, it sent him stumbling into an occupied booth nearby, startling a party of four trying to celebrate someone's birthday. As he attempted to regain his balance, his body sailed in the opposite direction. He was lucky enough to knock over only a few potted plants before sitting himself in a booth on the other side of the bar.

Tenten did her best not to break her promise by whipping out a camera. The moment was so precious, but the sullen expression on the poor Jonin's face was too much. Struggling to wipe the amused grin from her face, she strolled over to Kakashi and took a seat beside him. The tables had finally turned, and she was now the one taking him home in an effort to keep him from further destroying his reputation.

"I can't seem to find the dance floor," he muttered slowly. "It was there a moment ago, I saw it."

She smiled and swallowed her laughter. "Come on, Sensei. I'm afraid there'll be no dancing for you tonight."

He stared at her through drooping eyes before sighing. "That's a shame. I was really feeling the beat."

This time the laughter came full on. By the time the pair made it out of the building, tears were rolling down her cheeks, and she was holding her stomach in painful delight—she was having the time of her life.

* * *

"_Go find her and ask her yourself." _

Neji walked along the beaten path and glanced distractedly at the trees around him. For whatever reason, his cousin wasn't willing to tell him why Tenten was acting so strange, and she knew what was wrong—he could see it. But she made it clear that he was to hear it from Tenten herself. What the difference was, he couldn't fathom, but he respected his cousin's wish—especially when she exhibited her willingness to stand up to him. After all this time she was still shy to do so, and it was relieving to see her act strong.

Even so, it was a troublesome deed to find his teammate. Had it been any other _normal _day, she'd be with him right now; there would be no reason to even think about where she might be, because she'd be right here. So where was she right now? With no other ideas in mind, all he could do was take a stroll around the village in search of her.

But at least he was long accustomed to the presence of her chakra; that's even without the use of his Byakugan. The greatest bother only came from him feeling foolish. All at once, he felt the burden of becoming one of those idiot men who chased after that one elusive woman. Of course, he had no such feelings for Tenten. Once he found her, he wouldn't be confessing his undying love or begging her to return to his life. Yes, he only wanted to make sure his teammate was well and to ask her if she'd be making a habit of skipping out on training. That's all.

Still, he felt foolish.

"Neji! It thrills me to see you exercising on this fine afternoon! May I join your walk? Let us run instead!"

Neji cringed as Lee's piercing voice rang through his ears.

"Have you seen Tenten?" he asked, ignoring Lee's comments.

Lee thought for a moment, still running in place. "Why no, I've not seen our blossoming flower. Shall I help you find her? What a youthful task that would be!"

Without waiting for a reply, Lee turned around and shot off in the opposite direction. Neji shrugged and continued on his way, glad Lee hadn't asked why Tenten was to be found. Looking back to make sure the green beast was gone, he suddenly realized how dark the sky had gotten with him walking aimlessly around the village.

"Where are you?" he whispered harshly.

Lifting a foot to continue on his way, Neji suddenly felt a familiar body of chakra approaching him. His eyes widened, and he ran to conceal himself, holding his breath as the presence drew closer.

* * *

"You're a lot heavier than I thought," Tenten grunted, her running pace slowing steadily.

Kakashi mumbled a reply and shifted on her back, causing her to grimace and stumble. Regaining her balance, she pulled at his arms to keep him from sliding off the side and attempted to increase her pace.

For once she cursed the existence of alcohol. While it helped wash away her problems, it created other, _bigger _problems as well.

"Should've at least taken a few pictures for blackmail," she muttered between breaths, "Would've made this all worthwhile."

From the moment she began her sprint, the hem of her dress began flapping incessantly against her thighs, and the fear of flashing her underwear distracted her from running efficiently. She sighed in frustration and looked from her legs to the buildings whizzing by. Soon she began to recognize the area and smiled. They were approaching her apartment. _About freaking time, this guy's about to break my back. _If she weren't so worried about him tripping the entire way home, she'd have made him walk by himself. Oh, and she was also a _little _guilty for making him go out with her anyway, but that was irrelevant.

When the familiar brown roofing of her apartment came into view, she slowed to a stop and glanced up at her window. She turned her head and met with Kakashi's dozing face, his mask being the only thing keeping his drunken breath from causing her to gag. The heat from his breathing warmed her flushed cheek as she fixed her glare upon his relaxed expression. The only reason she even considered bringing him into her home was because his heavy ass was a pain to drag around. He lived on the other side of the village, and she was in no mood—or dress, for that matter—to carry him there.

"Heeere we go," she muttered, squatting to prepare for the jump into her balcony.

She was thankful for the dark of the late night, assuming she looked incredibly suspicious carrying an unconscious man into her apartment through her back door. Kicking open the door, and hoping no one would wake from the noise, she ran through her kitchen and threw Kakashi onto her couch, wincing slightly when his head flew an inch from her coffee table before thudding against an armrest. She mouthed an "Oops" before closing the back door and tiptoeing into her room.

For a moment, she stood at the entrance of her bedroom and scanned the area for her camera. As she did so, she silently debated on whether or not she should keep the promise she made. On one hand, she felt a certain guilt from asking him to do all these things for such frivolous, girly reasons; but on the other hand... his state at this very moment was the epitome of all "Kodak Moments."

With a smile and the snap of her fingers, she raced across the room and rummaged through her desk, digging out a small digital camera. "Just one little picture," she whispered, grinning ear to ear, "I'll keep it to myself and save it for a rainy day."

Making her way back into the living room, she held her breath and turned on the camera, half expecting Kakashi to have disappeared due to his my-reputation-is-in-danger senses tingling. But as his passed-out figure appeared exactly as she left him, a sigh escaped her lips. She stood five feet from his person, anticipating a sudden awakening, and held the camera up with shaky hands. _Here I go..._

_FLASH_

The bright light flashed from the camera and illuminated the room for a millisecond, and Tenten blinked her eyes from the following two seconds of momentary blindness. She didn't realize that she was holding her breath again. Two minutes passed, and she continued to stare at the picture she'd taken, still standing five feet from Kakashi. When the feeling of success finally sank in, her face bunched up in excitement, and she performed a little victory dance before running back into her bedroom and shutting the door behind her. She tossed her camera onto her bed and flung herself after it, bouncing an inch off the covers before laying peacefully on the pillows that scattered the mattress.

After taking a moment to revel in her success, her mind drifted back to the man who was carelessly tossed on her couch. Feeling a tinge of guilt, Tenten decided to retrieve a blanket for him, as nights were colder this time of the year. With a childish, green, kunai-decorated quilt hanging from her arm, she wiped the cold sweat from her brow and went to attend to her guest.

Before her fingers touched the cold metal of the doorknob, the door itself swung open, and Kakashi's tired, half-lidded eyes landed on Tenten. For an awkward moment, the two stared silently at each other. When she remained speechless, he took the initiative to break the silence.

"I thought I said 'no cameras,'" he grumbled.

Taken aback, Tenten dropped the quilt and opened her mouth to reply, but her mind was empty of excuses. He took a step forward, and she took a step back. When he took another step, she followed. Soon, the back of her legs ran into the edge of her bed, and she tumbled into the covers, face frozen in fear, surprise, and delight. Fear from Kakashi's intimidating stare as he approached her; surprise from him tripping into the bed and landing on top of her with his arm on either side of her head to keep his weight from crushing her body; delight from her peeling the mask from his face and the sudden taste of his mouth against hers.

-  
**End Chapter 7  
**-

* * *

**A/N: **Oh brother, long hiatus is long. In fact, I'm still not done with this chapter-even as I post this-but I've dragged this on a liiiiiiiittle too long. I figured I'd at least finish up what I had and let everyone know I'm not dead. =) The last few paragraphs were loosely edited, and I didn't have a beta reader this time around. Sorry if it's messier than usual. Oh, not to mention shorter...

A huge thank you to the few people who recently reviewed, despite my hiatus. =o You guys got me back into this, even if for a little while from time to time. xD

As always, **R&R** please~ (Reviews are proven to inspire, haaah.)


	8. Attempted Reconciliation

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters

**Previously:** _After a wild night of alcohol, Kakashi and Tenten unexpectedly get their first taste of each other._

* * *

_**-  
Chapter 8: **Attempted Reconciliation  
-_

This wasn't at all how Tenten envisioned her first wild kiss with Kakashi. _Not. At. All. _First of all, yes, she fantasized about the socially ignorant man approaching his mid-life crisis—because let's be honest, any heterosexual woman in her right mind would. Second, his mouth, face, clothes, _everything _smelled entirely of alcohol, which wasn't particularly pleasing when there was also a slight hint of I-haven't-opened-my-mouth-in-three-hours lingering on his breath. Third, she imagined _herself _taking the initiative and catching him off guard. She had the scene perfectly laid out in her head: they'd be arguing nonsensically over something, she'd lean in and sneak a quick peck at his cheek, then, as he stared at her in shock, she'd yank down his mask and start sucking some serious face. And yes, she was that detailed in her fantasy.

But here she was, being the significantly less-than-dominant girl, feeling all gooey and fluffy under his aggressive weight. The funny part was... she was enjoying it. A lot. Call it repressed sexual tension or whatever, but this guy was surprisingly good, despite the years of misconceptions placed on his name. All doubts about his sexual orientation flew out the window as she molded her body to accommodate his touch.

"Sensei," she whispered, turning away to gasp for breath, "I'm not sure that this is a good idea."

An obvious lie.

He grunted a response, leaving a trail of butterfly kisses down her neck and ending at her collarbone.

His unresponsiveness did nothing for her nerves, and as the sober adult of the situation, she had to keep them from doing anything they'd regret in the following morning. Inviting him into her home at such a late hour was scandal enough. For him to leave frazzled and with sex-hair in the morning... she couldn't imagine.

"Kakashi." Her tone came out stronger than she wanted, but it was necessary.

At her sudden change in tone, he stopped, adhering to her request. He lifted himself from her body and stood silently at the foot of the bed, staring at her with his mask still hanging at his neck. From the shadows drawn by the curtains at her window, she could hardly make out the outline of his face. But from running her fingers across his jaw just moments ago, she knew he was handsome.

_If only I could see his face..._

As curious as she was, there was no chance for her to humor her desire. As if on cue, Kakashi jerked away from the bed and disappeared from the room, leaving only a small puff of smoke to indicate that he'd been there at all.

It took her a full five minutes to gather what had just taken place and to recollect herself. She even questioned if she'd actually left the apartment at all that day. But the alcoholic taste that lingered on her tongue was too distinct—_it was real._

Standing up to collect her quilt from the floor, Tenten looked out into the living room, at the couch where she'd first tossed his semi-conscious body. A small, hushed giggle escaped her lips as she returned to her bed and fell into the pillows, still light-headed from the adrenaline rush he'd given her. _He, _the great Copy Ninja of Konoha.

Closing her eyes, she smiled to herself, mindlessly hoping he'd get home safe and sound. Nothing could stop her from replaying the scene over and over again in her mind as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Something happened to her dear friend last night—something huge. No matter how hard Tenten tried to act normally, Sakura saw it a mile away, the little hop in her step, the hushed secret in her smile... What exactly happened? The suspense was killing her, how Tenten looked like a new woman from the way she was walking and talking. Perhaps she...

"Did you sleep with Neji last night?" she blurted abruptly, eyes wide with disbelief.

Tenten blinked twice, too startled to give a coherent reply.

"That's it, isn't it?" she continued, nodding slowly as she began to feel more and more confident of herself. "You saw him after your date with Kakashi, then you started putting the moves on him. I just knew this would work!"

As Sakura pranced about her coffee table, basking in self-confidence and triumph, Tenten sat quietly on the couch, grinning at her friend's usual habit of jumping to conclusions.

"Admit it Ten," Sakura stopped and slapped her hands on her friend's knees, her face inches from Tenten's, "I'm a genius."

Remaining still in her position, and feeling Sakura's excited breath on her nose, Tenten laughed and shook her head briskly. "Sakura, you're insane. I didn't see Neji at all last night. Why you'd think so is completely beyond me."

Sakura wrinkled her nose and folded her arms across her chest, eyes twinkling with suspicion. "Well, whatever you did last night, it sure smelled awful. Did you go drinking without me again?"

Tenten scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Uh, close, but I didn't touch a drop of alcohol last night.

"Then why does your breath smell like you were out drowning in self-pity?"

"I was suffering from second-hand drinking."

"What does that even mean, Tenten?"

Tenten smirked and narrowed her eyes. "It means I had a nice make-out session with your drunk Sensei last night."

Sakura's breath became caught in her throat as her mind slowly comprehended her friend's reply. When she finally wrapped her head around what was just said, her eyebrows twisted with shock, and she uttered three short words with her gawking mouth.

"What. The. Hell."

* * *

Somehow, Tenten managed to escape Sakura's maniacal clutches unscathed. At first she was minutely apprehensive that Sakura would erupt over what happened between her and Kakashi. He was, after all, Sakura's long-time mentor and... possible friend? But as soon as her pink-haired friend began to dance in triumph over assuming her role in getting Neji and Tenten together—which was, by far, completely untrue—Tenten couldn't hold in her desire to burst Sakura's bubble with the most unexpected piece of irony in the village.

But her actual reaction was just as priceless. It didn't matter at all that _Kakashi _was the one whom she kissed; all that mattered was that they _kissed. _She got a great kick out of it, and once again, Tenten felt like a little teenager, freaking out about how weird her first kiss felt. Except this time, the kiss was damn good, and there was nothing weird about it. Well, except that it was with Kakashi.

As Tenten slipped into a minor daydream, a soft knock came at the door and swiftly brought her back to reality.

Upon answering the door, she found an unexpected visitor. "Hinata! Come in—what brings you here?"

Giving a shy smile, Hinata glanced around the entrance before stepping through the door and bowing her head politely. "I'm sorry for intruding so suddenly, but I need to ask a favor from you."

Tenten hesitated to respond, but motioned for her guest to take a seat in the living room. "That's kinda surprising coming from you." She couldn't imagine how she would possibly be of use to the future of the Hyuga clan, and for that reason her curiosity was piqued. "What do you need?"

Hinata raised her pale eyes to gaze at Tenten, a weak, apologetic smile gracing her soft features. "It's about Neji."

_Oh, of course._ Tenten's stomach dropped at the mention of his name, and consequentially, she could not hide the frustration in her expression.

"Tenten, I don't understand what's going on, but whatever happened last night between you two... Well, I've never seen him so agitated."

Why did everyone assume that the two of them had met last night? Tenten was obviously missing something, but she had no idea where to even begin to wonder. She never saw him at all the day before, after all. Not even the day before that. What exactly was she supposed to do?

"Look, I'm as lost as you are about what's going on with him, so I'm not sure how I'm supposed to help."

"I would be forever indebted to you if you would talk to him."

"Sounds simple enough. Tell me where the bonehead is, and I'll see what I can do."

At Tenten's reply, Hinata breathed a sigh of relief and lightly placed a hand over her chest, as if a great weight was lifted from her shoulders. "T-thank you so much! I really didn't know what else to do but to intervene."

"No problem. I do seem to be involved in all of this, even if I am confused as hell."

Hinata gave her a warm smile and lifted herself from the couch, bowing slightly before retreating to the door. "Neji's currently in the training grounds laying about. If we're lucky, you'll talk some sense into him and get him training again." In mid-step, she stopped and quirked her head. "And you never saw him at all last night?"

"Not a trace of him."

"Then I wonder what happened..."

Tenten shrugged, accompanying Hinata out the door as she continued to mumble to herself about her cousin's odd behavior. Once she was out of sight, Tenten closed the door and sank to the floor, leaning her head against the side of the doorknob. With the room empty, she had the chance to think to herself and ponder the possible causation of Neji's moodiness. Within minutes, she realized she had yet to even witness his behavior.

With a sigh, she pulled herself back to her feet and grasped the doorknob with a sweaty hand. "Guess there's only one way to resolve this."

She decided to visit Neji at the training grounds to see what was wrong and—hopefully—to screw this guy's head on straight. And she would never admit this aloud, but she actually kinda missed the frosty idiot.

But she didn't exactly expect him to literally be laying on the ground. Yet when she came up to the worn grounds, there he was, just as Hinata described. He seemed to be staring blankly at the sky, which was odd enough as he was never really keen on being idle. Somehow, it was a calming sight to behold, and Tenten almost wished she could lay herself beside him to bask in the peaceful silence.

But that's not what she promised to do.

"Hey," she whispered through dry lips.

At the sound of her voice, Neji closed his eyes and sat up, no longer carrying a calm expression on his face. When he looked up at her, she ignored his irritated stare and sat down beside him.

"How was your day? Feels like it's been forever since I last talked to you."

"Only a few days."

"Regardless. How was your day?"

He stood up and patted the dirt from his pants. "Don't waste my time, Tenten."

"I could see how busy you were, lying around doing nothing." Attempting a smile, she stood and followed Neji across the grounds, staring at his feet to match his steps.

For a few minutes, neither one said a word as she followed him silently into the forest, afraid to break the silence for fear of sounding clingy or annoying him further. Somehow, this didn't feel much different from any other day, and she then realized how pathetic their relationship really was.

Finally, she stopped and stared angrily at the ground, fists clenched with her nails digging into her palms. "What am I to you, exactly?"

For a moment, she thought he'd keep walking and leave her behind. It would have suited his personality just right, to disregard her even after all they'd been through. But he stopped this time, and he turned his head to gaze at her as she shook with concealed anger.

Much to her surprise, he answered her question. "A dedicated partner, a faithful companion... An irreplaceable friend." By now, he'd turned his entire body to face her. "And I to you?"

Frozen with shock at his honest and compassionate answer, Tenten stood and watched as he approached her, his eyes shining white with curiosity. When he stopped at her feet, she gathered her wits and matched his ardent stare.

Then she smacked him. Not the heavy kind of blow that would leave a red mark on his cheek, but a "light pat" to alert him of her frustration.

Placing a hand on his cheek, Neji furrowed his brow and glared at her. "Why did you-"

"Just letting out a bit of steam."

"That was uncalled for."

"Was it?" She batted her eyelashes in innocence and grinned. "If you still don't know my feelings for you after all this time, then I'd say that I have every right to be pissed at you."

"What?"

She waved a hand and laughed. "Don't worry about it, Neji. Now that I've talked to you, I can rest assured that you haven't gone crazy, like everyone seems to be implying."

He gave her a questioning stare, unable to retort.

"Just as I thought, you're fine," Tenten gave him a rough pat on the shoulder and turned on her heels. "Well, I've gotta be off. It was nice talking to you again!"

Giving him no chance to reply, she sprinted through the forest to escape his scrutinizing gaze. She needed time to think.

* * *

Once she made it back to the dusty streets of Konoha, she sighed with relief and began a steady walk. As her head filled itself with idle thoughts to keep from thinking about her encounter with Neji, Tenten made a gradual route to whatever destination her feet were willing to take her.

"I do hope you're not stalking me. That's against the law, you know."

The familiar voice knocked Tenten out of her stupor, and she looked up to see Kakashi in a casual posture leaning against the side of a building. His light-hearted comment pulled at her lips, as she could not keep the smile from emerging on her face.

"What would the world do without you, Sensei?"

She watched as he stared at her with awkward silence.

"Ah!" Tenten gave him a sheepish smile and bowed her head. "I keep calling you 'Sensei,' but that makes you feel old, doesn't it? I'm sorry."

He waved away her apology and shifted his weight. "Actually, forget I said that. I rather enjoy you calling me Sensei."

Trying not to laugh at the potentially sexual undertone of his reply, Tenten clamped her mouth shut and nodded.

"You know, I've been wondering... Why did you ask _me _to coach you?"

The sudden question caught her off guard, and all she could say was a dumb, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why not someone like Anko? To my knowledge, she's much more learned in the field of seduction."

Tenten raised an eyebrow, and the corner of her mouth twitched with amusement. "Kakashi. What's the first thing you think of doing when you see Anko?"

Opening his mouth to reply, Kakashi paused to think, then his shoulders slumped.

"Well?" she urged, leaning in for emphasis.

"I think of running away. Point taken."

She grinned in triumph and elbowed his side in good humor. It was as if he could read her mood, and seeing her with such a downcast expression must have prompted him to act. He knew exactly how to make her smile, and she was fine with that.

As the pair fell into a comfortable silence, they took a seat on a nearby bench and enjoyed each others' company. For a few minutes they said nothing and watched as the idle villagers walked by, chuckling softly together when they were met with inquisitive glances.

Then Kakashi leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees, taking on a serious air. "Do you want to talk about him?" he asked softly, staring ahead.

A small smile graced her lips as she shook her head.

He chuckled, shoulders shaking with light amusement and understanding. "I see."

-  
**End Chapter 8**  
-

* * *

**A/N: **I was diligent with this chapter. |D I wrote every day during school in my Calculus notebook, typed/edited it up on my word document, and now I'm finished. I just gotta get my second beta reader to give a final run over, then I'll... re-upload this chapter. But right now I'm being damn impatient. /fail

Oh, and the "second-hand drinking" phrase was jacked from an episode of "The Simpsons." :B I lol'd and jack'd it. Small disclaimer there.

I wrote six pages this time. _SIX. _Be proud of me. **R&R to show your pride plz.**


	9. Unimaginable Revelations

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters

_**Previously:**__ Escaping Sakura's maniacal ability to jump to conclusions, Tenten bumps into a familiar face and releases some pent-up frustration._

* * *

**-  
Chapter 9: **Unimaginable Revelations  
-**  
**

It wasn't until later that Tenten began to vent, and Kakashi regretted ever having offered even a hint of kindness towards the bun-haired girl concerning this Hyuga. All he wanted was to lend an ear for a moment, perhaps even a shoulder to cry on. But as the hours rolled on, he realized ruefully that he was trapped in the girl's insane prison of self consciousness and sexual frustration. There was no escape.

"I mean, I wouldn't have talked to him at all if Hinata hadn't asked. I wasn't at all ready to talk to the idiot again. Everything was going so well, and I expected our next meeting to be when I was damn ready to charm the hell out of him, not when he was weirdly sentimental and honest!" She paused and took a deep breath. "I had at least hoped to look strong and confident, you know? I probably came off desperate... I mean, I started the conversation with a 'Hey.' What was I thinking?"

Kakashi had long since lost interest in the subject at hand, but he allowed her to continue nonetheless. He figured she'd ultimately feel better after releasing all that steam. And if she felt better, she was quieter. But by no means was he listening. At this point, his attention was focused on the Hyuga in question, as the kid was doing a terrible job of concealing himself. Tenten showed no sign of recognizing his presence, but he was definitely trailing them. Every now and then, if Kakashi thought he detected a question, he would nod at Tenten, but nothing could distract him for long from his focus: What was the Hyuga's purpose for following so closely behind.

_Was he jealous? _Such an idea was a possibility, but the boy had enough pride to stuff the Hokage's bosom so that it seemed preposterous. Yet he was willing to follow this mediocre girl in place of training. _Odd. _

While he pondered over the boy's motive, he kept from bringing up the Hyuga's presence to her out of curiosity—to see what the boy would do as he continued to spend time with Tenten. However, as time passed, the boy continued to remain out of sight from her, making no sound whatsoever despite the increasing rage radiating from his body. Still, Kakashi wished to bait him further, spending the afternoon with Tenten eating, walking, and talking. The Hyuga boy continued to follow in silence.

"You're awfully friendly today, Kakashi. What's up?"

Tenten's voice broke through his thoughts as she slurped milkshake through her straw. She shuddered at the cold beverage touching her throat.

"Nothing in particular," he replied. "It's just a good day."

She grinned at him and continued to slurp at her straw, still unaware of the jealousy seething from the young Hyuga only meters away. The boy's passivity began to bore Kakashi – he decided it was time to shake things up.

"Is there any reason for that Hyuga friend of yours to be following us?" he asked, feigning innocent nonchalance.

At this, she straightened in her seat, and her eyes widened. "What?" she asked, lowering her voice. She leaned in across the table and cupped a hand to her mouth in an attempt to mask her lips. "What are you talking about?"

Kakashi's mouth twitched with amusement through his mask. "That Hyuga boy you're trying to impress. He's been following us since early noon."

Her eyes grew wider still."You're kidding." She settled her hands in her lap and struggled to keep them still—and to no avail. "That rotten bum. First he ignores me, and now he's stalking me?"

Her sudden change in attitude traveled quickly to the Hyuga. Though he was careless, he was still alert, and Kakashi could no longer sense his chakra.

"Guess he's gone," Tenten whispered, a hint of disappointment touching her tone.

He could only sigh.

* * *

From that point on, the mood of the outing began to drop minute by minute, until the bun-haired girl was just downright moping. With the steady decline of his amusement, Kakashi almost regretted bringing Neji to her attention. Evidently, her lengthy, animated rantings were much more exciting than her mopey, depressed mumblings. Go figure.

For that, Kakashi ended the lunch date prematurely and placed their bill on the table, attempting to ignore the large number of zeros in the amount due. When the girl looked up—startled—from staring down at her plate, he sighed and placed a gentle hand on her slumped shoulder.

"Are you finished eating already?" she asked, her innocent eyes still glazed from her daydreams.

She wasn't really looking at him, or near him, or behind him. She didn't seem to be looking at anything at all. Kakashi stared at her plate as she mindlessly began to push her food around. Did she even eat any of it?

"Tenten, it's been over an hour, and we didn't order enough food for you to take _this _long." It's not like he cared. "I finished eating at least twenty minutes ago."

He then watched as surprise washed over her expression, and her shoulders bunched up to her ears with embarrassment. Her calloused fingers dropped the chopsticks they grasped and fumbled into her pockets. He assumed she was attempting to repay him for the bill that the waiter picked up seconds before. It was almost pathetic to see her this way. Or perhaps that was too strong a word... Maybe childish? Whatever the case, seeing her in this state pulled on his mind, tempting him to do something to better her mood. It wasn't any of his business, not at all. But as the mentor of Tenten's dear friend, Sakura, perhaps he was required to take up the responsibility in order to clear his conscious? It was possible. He could still pass as the guy who didn't really care, maybe.

But today wasn't the day to feign sentimentality. Already, he felt too poetic for his taste, and it wasn't doing anything for the "cool guy" image his students had imbedded onto him. It took him years to accidentally create this image for himself, and he wasn't about to ruin it by being too helpful to a young woman he'd only recently had the chance to get to know.

Before Tenten could hand him the money she finally dug out, he was already halfway across the room, approaching the exit. A swift exit was ideal, as he did not want to carry her money with the guilt of being the cause of her dampened mood, but he made the mistake of taking one last glance back at the poor girl. A grimace gripped at the corners of his lips as his eyes fell on her confused expression. She stared straight at him, her wallet in hand. He feared she would sit in that position for at least another half hour if he left then and there. So...

With an extended arm, Kakashi retraced his steps and gestured to her. "I'll take you home, at least."

* * *

She had a feeling he was pitying her. From the way he glanced back at her to the way he slowed his pace right as he arrived at the exit, she knew he was pitying her. And for the wrong reason too, probably. It was clear as day to Tenten that she acted like an abandoned puppy, cold and alone, yearning for Neji's attention. Once Kakashi refused to accept her money for the bill, she realized she'd made a mistake. Yet again, making a fool out of herself. She was a pro at that.

As he walked ahead, leading the way to her apartment, Tenten tried to imagine what was going on in his head. Was he laughing at her? Shaking his head with embarrassment for even associating with her? Her eyes narrowed at the possibility. Though her reason for reacting the way she did was indeed shallow and childish, it wasn't as pathetic as what he was probably imagining. No, the real reason for her freezing up and acting all depressed was not because of Neji. It was more Kakashi's fault.

What went on through her head as Kakashi ate his lunch in silence was something akin to a bucket of cold water being dumped over her head. A sort of realization washing over, so to speak. What shocking truth did she discover? Well, nothing big. Only that she'd wasted her entire life stumbling over her feet for Neji when only moments with Kakashi could have her stomach in knots. In other words, she discovered that she was harboring feelings for the masked Jonin, and her feeling of despair rooted itself in the fact that she was so easily won over by his standoffish charm. Even now, as she carefully traced his steps, his calm demeanor gave her stomach butterflies.

Still, the walk turned bleak with awkward silence. While Tenten's inner conflict raged on—_How would she explain herself and restore a pinch of her pride?_—Kakashi slowed, approaching the familiar building whose shadow loomed over the pair.

She noticed his stopping, but her body kept moving forward—unintentional at first, until she reached out her arms and wrapped them around his waist. His shoulders stiffened against her embrace, but he did nothing to push her away. _From the pity, no doubt._

"Do you remember anything about last night?" she asked, pressing her cheek to the small of his back.

It was the first mention of the night before, from either of them. There was no telling how much he knew or how much he remembered, but he showed no sign of embarrassment or regret. And with Tenten, although she was occupied with the conflict in her affections, what happened the night before still prodded at her mind in the back of her thoughts. It was sheer, sheepish curiosity, and she breathed in his scent, waiting for his reply.

"Not particularly."

A blink—two blinks, and she released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Her grip loosened as well, allowing him to turn and face her. It frustrated her to no end, that she couldn't read him at all through that damned mask.

A smile forced itself onto her face. "Good!" She ignored the unnaturally high tone emitted from her voice and kept her smile from faltering. "You did some crazy stuff, Sensei."

Kakashi raised a brow. "But nothing damaging?"

She shook her head, still smiling. "Nothing _that_ bad, I promise."

Feeling his scrutinizing stare, she skipped ahead, past him, and hopped up onto her balcony. With an appreciative bow of the head, she bade him good night and retreated into her home. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving her to stand alone in the dark, with only a few stray rays of the evening sun leaking through her curtains. She leaned back against the wooden frame, steadily sliding to the floor, her shoes squeaking against the smooth flooring.

Aside from feeling a small sense of rejection, a different sensation began to squeeze into her stomach. In a wave of excitement, she scrambled for the phone and dialed the first number that came to mind. She held her breath as the tone sounded, her heart thumping in rhythm to the ringing. Then the other line clicked.

"Hello?"

"Hi..." Her voice trailed off as she attempted to gather her thoughts.

"Tenten, is that you? Why are you calling so late?"

She ignored the question and continued. "Hey Shikamaru, remember when you saw me at that restaurant you work at, and I was with Kakashi?"

"Yeah..."

"Yeah, how did we look together?"

A pause lingered before he responded. "Odd."

Tenten twisted her lips, but remained confident. "Odd, but not bad, right?"

Another pause. "I guess not, but-"

She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled into the receiver, cutting his reply short. "Thank goodness, I knew I could trust you!"

With renewed resolve coursing through her veins, she subdued a girlish giggle and hung up the phone, a muffled "Tenten, what's going on between you guys?" trailing from the receiver as she did so.

That night, after a quick shower and a soothing brush of the hair, Tenten climbed into bed and fell into an instant slumber. For the second time that week, she slept with a small smile playing at her lips.

-  
**End Chapter 9  
-**

* * *

**A/N: **Uh... [insert excuse here] But you'll be happy to know that I'm going to be a college freshman in about a month! Nobody cares? Oh... Okay. xD

Apologies for taking five months to produce such a short, uneventful chapter. ._.; I'll try to do better next time... **I'd still love some R&R action until then.**


	10. Confessions, Confessions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters

_**Previously:**__ As Neji steadily begins his new career as a professional stalker, Tenten discovers something she never thought was possible: the presence of feelings for someone other than Neji. _

* * *

**-  
Chapter 10: **Confessions, Confessions  
**-  
**

When the next morning rolled around, Tenten woke from her slumber with a clear mind. Unlike the night before, she was no longer drunk with the lovesick puppy sensation from realizing her newfound feelings for her masked mentor. At least, she figured she had feelings for him. Even as the morning sped by, her mind continuously wandered back to the thought of his weight against her untrained body, and that had to mean _something._

Still, she felt a sense of unfaithfulness from all those years of stumbling over even the mention of Neji. It was impossible to completely change interests within a fore-night, wasn't it? By no means were her feelings for Neji fleeting—in any way at all. That love was real, and she knew it. Yet the thought of Kakashi's wild hair, his aloof gaze, his asinine comments... Perhaps she was just going through a phase; the whole student-crush-on-her-charming-teacher cliché appealing to the lonely hunger for excitement within her. Yes, that had to be it.

For the next few hours, Tenten banished all thoughts involving love, feelings, and men from her head. With all the excitement surrounding Sakura, Neji, and now Kakashi, she'd fallen behind on her exercise and training schedule. It was childish and embarrassing, to say the least, being so distracted by such trivial matters. All of it had to be put aside until after her drills and practices were complete for the day. It was time to get back on track.

Sporting the same, unglamorous look as usual—hasty twin buns, worn black tank top, plain khaki shorts—Tenten strolled through her apartment door and breathed in the fresh summer scent. The smell of fresh fruits, the sound of bustling villagers, and the touch of a light breeze drifted in the air as she left her doorstep and started on a fast-paced jog around the village. While the heat and sweat occupied a major portion of her thoughts, her feeble attempts to block out all romance crumbled down. As luck would have it, she was merely jogging along. Had she been sparring with, say, Neji, the distraction would have proved fatal to her ego and pride. Then again, Neji probably thought she was laughable enough already. Just the thought of facing him embarrassed her all over again—so much that she failed to notice the bundle of branches going awol in the street. As her eyes began to register the imminent fall, her feet tangled with the branches before she had a chance to avoid them. With a high shriek, Tenten fell to the ground, palms forward to keep herself from eating dirt. Instead of jumping back to her feet, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the clouds, her breaths quick but steady.

"Impressive."

The low voice startled her, worried that a certain masked Jonin may have witnessed her fall. However, as she scrambled to her feet expecting to face him, she instead met Shikamaru's gaze. He stood a few feet from her, leaning against the wall of the restaurant she'd visited with Kakashi less than a week before. From the look of his professional attire and unenthusiastic expression, it registered to her that he was working. The silence between them grew awkward, and he continued to stare at her through dull, but curious eyes, a cigarette dangling lightly from his grimacing lips.

"You look tired," he remarked, reaching for the cigarette and ignoring her stare. "I'm on my lunch break—join me."

Giving him a silent nod, Tenten brushed off the dirt from her pants and followed him into the restaurant, watching him toss the blunt cigarette butt into the bushes nearby. "I'm assuming this is your treat," she said at last, glancing at him with an amused grin.

He glared back at her before stopping to take a seat at an empty table. "If you insist."

She met his glare with a playful wink and took a seat across from him. "So what's up?" she asked, eying him suspiciously. "You're not known to treat people to lunch out of boredom."

He sat unflinching under her scrutiny and waved for one of his co-workers. "I hope you don't mind having a cheaper meal here." Pausing to speak to their waiter, Shikamaru folded his hand across his chest and frowned at Tenten. "I'm only treating you so we can talk—Don't make this out like a date or anything."

She grinned and lifted her hands in mock defense. "No, would I do that to you? Besides, Ino would kill me." Her grin widened when she caught sight of a small twitch in his eye.

He sighed. "Childishness aside, I wanted to ask you about last night."

"Whoa, that's a little too deep for a second date, isn't it?" The grin never left her face.

"What's up with you and Kakashi?"

The straightforward question silenced Tenten's playful attitude, and she fell into a reserved air. For a while, her morning exercises prompted her to forget about her spur-of-the-moment phone call to Shikamaru, but now his humorless expression kept her from avoiding it altogether. What would she say? If she confessed to acting naïve and childish, he'd scoff at her. If she lied and said it was a prank, he'd see right through her and scoff as well. But the truth wasn't all bad... It made sense, and if he managed to keep from teasing her too much, she would be able to look to him for help. She liked the idea of having a confidant for this predicament... And though she loved Sakura and Ino dearly, those girls exaggerated and sugar-coated everything to the point of being unreliable when it mattered.

So caught up in her thoughts, Tenten didn't realize the food sitting before her until the smell of warm noodles flooded her nostrils.

Putting her hands together in preparation for eating, she grabbed her chopsticks and hovered over the steaming bowl. "I don't know what you mean." She knew the previous silence was too long and awkward for her to feign ignorance, but she thought she'd try it anyway. The noodles smelled too delicious for serious conversation, and it was fun to push Shikamaru's buttons.

"Come on, I'm serious about this," he pressed, reaching for his chopsticks. "I mean, you guys looked way too cozy the other day. If I hadn't known better, I really would've thought you two were together."

She stopped mid-slurp to stare at him. "But you didn't know better, did you?"

She didn't phrase it as a question, but as a statement. Although she was taking an entirely different approach from last night's lovesick confidence—which surely confused Shikamaru—she was now intent on thwarting any possibility of a rumor involving her and Kakashi. If word reached the masked Jonin himself, she would just die of embarrassment. Instead, she would eradicate any doubt in Shikamaru's busy mind with the truth, and hopefully convince him to keep his mouth shut.

"You don't know better, so you have to confirm it with me now." She swallowed whatever was left in her mouth and dabbed her lips with a napkin. "I'll tell it to ya straight: I think I might have feelings for him."

As she concluded the confession with a pause, her eyes studied his expression, searching for any hint of mockery or criticism. Luckily, she found nothing in his ever-dull eyes as she awaited his verbal response.

"Honestly, I'm not too surprised," he replied with a sigh. "Putting aside the age difference, he's famous, skillful, knowledgeable... I can see why someone like you would be attracted to him."

At his response, Tenten's features softened, and she breathed a soft sigh of relief. For whatever reason, she expected him to be completely obstinate of whatever she thought of Kakashi. While his opinion by no means represented that of the rest of the village, she was at least relieved to be able to reveal these feelings to someone who wasn't going to freak out and play matchmaker.

"Just so you know, you're probably going to hear from me more often after this." She beamed at him and finished off the rest of her meal. "I hope you're prepared to be my new best friend."

Shikamaru, who had previously been unaware of what exactly he'd gotten himself into, grimaced at the thought of committing to private romance conversations with Tenten, but he nodded nonetheless. "You better be damn grateful that I'm agreeing to this _and _paying for your lunch all in the same day."

Grinning in response, she patted her content stomach pointedly. "So what do you think I should do? Should I go for it, or just leave it alone?"

By now, Shikamaru had also emptied his bowl and was sitting back comfortably, hands folded at the back of his head. "Well, I don't know. How are things going with Neji? I thought you were head over heels in love with him."

She shook her head, ignoring the heat creeping up to her cheeks. "My feelings for him are still pretty strong, but he's been getting more and more distant. I feel like Kakashi knows me better than _that _hard-head does now. Compared to being with Neji, I feel like something with Kakashi could actually work."

Her spiky-haired companion raised an eyebrow and leaned in ever so slightly. "You make it sound like Kakashi actually returns your feelings." He trailed off at the sight of Tenten's furtive smirk. "Wait, does he really?"

She shrugged, but the smirk remained on her face. "Nothing's for sure, since you can't read a thing off his masked face, but I have my suspicions."

Now he was at the edge of his seat, unable to mask his curiosity. "After all this time, out of all the remarkable women he's encountered, you think he wants _you?_"

Feigning distress, Tenten landed a light punch on his shoulder and laughed as he played along with a cringe. As the waiter approached the table and nodded towards Shikamaru, she stood from her seat and placed a hand on his arm, giving it a tentative squeeze.

"I owe you one, Shikamaru."

Leading her to the exit, he nodded and offered her a knowing sigh. "I gotta get back to work, but come find me if you need anything. Just make sure I'm not too busy."

With a nod, she bowed her head politely and turned to leave.

"Oh, and next time don't call me in the middle of the night and hang up so suddenly without giving a damn explanation!"

The last few words of his plea fell on deaf ears as Tenten launched herself away from the restaurant to finish her morning jog with an afternoon run. She had a good idea of what he was trying to say, so she paid him no more mind in order to get a quick start to clearing her head.

* * *

Ever since his last confrontation with Tenten in the forest, she never left his mind. Accompanying her hard slap across his face must have been a silent strike to his mind as well, for even now, during his attempt to hone his _Hakke Rokujuyon Sho, _her face appeared relentlessly before his eyes to distract him, tempt him. For what reason, Neji pondered, was her reaction to his sincerity so coarse? If he recalled correctly, nothing in his statements were of the offensive nature. No, if anything she should have been ecstatic at his statements. After all, it wasn't every day that he called someone his irreplaceable friend. But as soon as he asked her to reveal his place in her life, she struck him. And for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why. It was due to this confusion that he followed her that evening, in hopes of catching wind of what was going on through her mind.

Unfortunately, his plan backfired when he watched her spend the rest of the evening with Hatake Kakashi. While he bore no ill will for the famed Copy Ninja—that was Gai's job—he couldn't help but wonder what in the hell Tenten was thinking, or whether she was thinking at all. He recalled sitting aside in the same restaurant, glaring at the pair as they exchanged affectionate glances and engaged in suggestive chatter. It made no sense to him at all. Standing between them was a number of things, one of them being an age difference of at least ten years. Besides that, it only made sense for them to have a student-teacher relationship and nothing more than a casual, if not respectful, friendship. Yet her intentions radiated much more than that. What he'd witnessed in the last week, with the two of them drinking together and spending time alone in her home, was nothing short of improper.

With a bitter taste in his mouth, Neji completed sixty-three of the targeted sixty-four strikes in his _Hakke Rokujuyon Sho. _The final strike missed its target by a mere centimeter to the left, with the tips of his fingers giving their fatal blow to the air beside it. He didn't even notice his mistake until after he concluded his thoughts on Tenten.

"I can't focus like this," he muttered, spitting into the ground.

He gave it his all, attempting to block her from his mind, yet so far his hard work and concentration yielded failure, and failure alone. The only available solution now was to confront her and lay out his heart once and for all. Whether or not it left him vulnerable and naked no longer mattered, for his caged emotions were brewing disaster beneath his resolute resolve.

But when to do it? He knew all too well that charging unprepared into an arena with an enraged bull was suicide. From Tenten's reaction, her anger probably wouldn't subside until a week later. While this meant putting up with more confusing thoughts and more of her strange behavior, Neji knew this was the safest route. In the meantime, doing some research on Tenten was probably ideal. At this point, he had no idea whether or not he was still in her favor, so he needed to find someone who knew her well—someone who consoled her on more than one occasion. And who better to ask than Haruno Sakura, one of Tenten's closest friends outside of Team Gai?

* * *

"So I noticed you've been hangin' around Gai's girl lately." Genma's senbon wagged as he spoke, but he was careful not to let it fall.

"Who?"

"You know, Gai's student. The one with the buns?"

"Oh, Tenten." Kakashi's eyes remained fixed on the words in his little orange book.

Genma smirked, producing a mocking sigh. "You're on a first name basis with her already? The scandal."

The masked Jonin remained silent, too enthralled by his novel, despite it being his sixth time reading. Still, his colleague's incessant prattle buzzed in his ear—a fly asking for extermination.

"Come on," Genma pressed, undaunted by the one-sided nature of their conversation. "Give me _something_ to work with. I'm curious to know how such a common girl could hold the attention of the great White Fang of Konoha."

Kakashi's focus faltered at once, unable to resist the bait thrown to him by his impudent companion. "She's different," he growled, lowering his voice. His narrow eyes bore through Genma, daring him to say any more.

Genma drew back and nearly prodded himself with the senbon, surprised at Kakashi's sudden wave of emotion. But even as the Copy Ninja's expression dropped, and he returned to his book, Genma watched him with a triumphant, knowing smirk. Lifting himself to his feet, he settled one hand in his pocket and the other on Kakashi's shoulder.

"I'm genuinely happy for you, Kakashi."

Never mind that Kakashi waved him away with a dismissive grunt. Through years of observation, calculation, and ill-placed bets, Genma knew with gloating pride that as of today Humpty Dumpty's great wall of solitude was finally crumbling down.

**-**  
**End Chapter 10  
-**

* * *

**A/N: **Allright, so I just finished a whole chapter in less than a week, what's up? And it wasn't even a wimpy chapter, I put my heart and soul into this guy. Show of hands, who's proud of me?

Just kidding, don't embarrass yourself in public. Instead, show your appreciation by **R&R'ing. **;)**  
**


	11. The Dating Game

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters

_**Previously:**__ With time away from one another, Tenten, Neji, and Kakashi come to realize more about their feelings. Tenten finds an unlikely confidante in Shikamaru as she begins to work out what she truly wants.  
_

* * *

**-  
Chapter 11: **The Dating Game  
**-**_  
_

For once, Tenten actually felt like she had a plan. Or at least a plan that was satisfyingly well thought out. Following her brief lunch date with Shikamaru, she spent the rest of the day clearing her head and deciding on her next plan of action. Fortunately for her, she never ran into Neji, Sakura, or most importantly Kakashi all day. It really gave her time alone to think, with no outside influence or pressure. And she decided, with careful consideration, that she needed to know where she stood with the masked Jonin. After spending years and years of never really knowing what went on in that blockhead Neji's brain, she felt as if it was finally time to really get to the bottom of _someone's _feelings for her. She wasn't about to waste years of her life yearning for someone who didn't return her sentiment again. No, no more of that if she could help it. This new day would be devoted to figuring Kakashi out. Even if she couldn't read a damn thing from his face because of that stupid mask, she'd pry it out of him. Once and for all, she'd figure out whether or not it was even worth her time to think about him.

Today's meeting place was in front of the small and quaint _Ichiraku _ramen stand. Tenten stood alone at the side of the small building, staring up at the clouds. It was another bright and happy day. No rain, no heavy wind, and just enough clouds to keep the sun from melting everything away. The weather was perfect for sparring with Neji—She always looked forward to days like this, where conditions were practically geared towards the two of them training and sparring. But not today, of course. She felt as if she'd reached a silent agreement with Neji to steer clear of each other for a while. It was a shame that this perfect weather would be wasted on a day of sitting around and talking, but she was confident that after she dealt with her feelings for Kakashi, she'd be able to go back to the good, uncomplicated days with Neji. The nostalgia factor was really kicking in.

Tenten shook her head and collected herself, looking around for even a trace of silver hair. No sign of him, not even his chakra. Where was he? As strange as it was to say this, despite the hundreds of rumors surrounding Kakashi's name, Tenten was actually surprised that he was late. For the past few meetings she had set up with Sakura, he'd been on time and sometimes even early. She suspected that Sakura's threat to keep his _Icha Icha _books had a hand in his punctuality, but for that reason she was even more puzzled by his sudden tardiness. Sakura had not yet returned his books—of that Tenten was sure. If anything, Kakashi must have stolen them back, tired of playing love coach. Actually, she was somewhat surprised that he didn't take them back on the first day in the first place, as she doubted Sakura could match his cunning and strength. A small frown pulled at Tenten's lips as her legs found relief at a nearby bench. That was it, wasn't it? He realized that he could just take back his books and be done with their silly game. He was never interested in sticking around at all; he just wanted to get out of it as quickly and painlessly as possible. Good old Kakashi.

Tenten slumped down on the bench and pulled out a kunai to play with, disappointment welling up in her chest. "Hmph. It's not like I needed him anyway, the lazy, no good, inconsiderate-"

"Surely you're not referring to me."

She jumped out of her seat before whipping around to meet Kakashi's lone eye grinning at her. He crouched down on the edge of the bench to meet her stare. He reeked of playful amusement, as if he was merely toying with her. The bastard really knew how to play.

"You jerk, you gave me a heart attack!" The warm, fluffy kind of heart attack. "Why are you so late? I've been waiting for an hour." Wow, way to sound like a whiny girlfriend, Tenten. Gold star for that tone, he must love it.

The man raised a silver brow and cocked his head. "Well, you see, on my way here I noticed a little girl who'd dropped her ice cream, and-"

Tenten raised an impatient hand to his face and shot him a glare to silence his lame excuse. "No thanks, never mind. We're gonna make up for lost time, Sensei." She folded her arms across her chest again and stuck her face out at him to intensify the glare. "Time for part three of your coaching."

Kakashi climbed down from the top of the bench and sat himself down, settling uncomfortably on the stiff wooden seat, her glare still boring holes into his skull. "Remind me again what I'm doing today? Also..." He looked left and right. "Where's Sakura this morning? Plotting more forms of torture for my books?"

A smile broke through her glare as she realized that even though the man was fully capable of retrieving his books whenever he liked, he still stuck around, pretending to have no other choice. But still she kept her hopes at bay. Perhaps he only wanted a distraction from his boring day-to-day routine, just something to spice up his life in this time of peace. The possibility of him not liking her at all was still very much present, so she needed to stay wary.

"Sakura's busy today, so it's just you and me for now. But she said we should set me up on a practice date with someone who's not you." Tenten watched his face for any indication of jealousy or frustration.

But he just raised a hand to his head and scratched the back of his neck in thought. Not a hint of irritation that she was going to spend time with another guy. "I'm assuming you want someone similar to the Hyuga boy." His restless hand moved from his neck to his chin, stroking it dramatically as he pondered. "Sasuke's out of the question. Your green teammate, mini-Gai, won't work either."

Tenten joined him on the bench and anchored her elbows on her knees, allowing her to rest her chin in the palm of her hands. _He's adorable when he actually tries. _She smiled to herself, listening absent-mindedly as he continued to rule out random male candidates.

"Ah," Kakashi paused and turned to face her. "What about Shikamaru? The two of you seemed friendly enough already the other day."

_Bingo. _A smirk played on her lips at his recommendation. She didn't expect her plan to go so smoothly so soon. Perhaps she owed her good luck to this beautiful weather. Whatever the case, she refused to waste good fortune on miserable failure. On with the plan. It was perfect for him to suggest Shikamaru, her new partner in crime. No doubt she could get the lazy genius in on her plan as well—He and his big, bored brain could help her decide whether or not Kakashi had even the slightest interest in her.

She beamed at the Jonin and laughed at his sincere suggestion, attempting to disguise her relief that he'd magically suggested the perfect date for her. "You make a good point, I think he's a great choice for me!"

He gave a curt nod, clearly proud of his suitor-selecting prowess. "I believe my work here is done then. I'll leave it up to you to get in contact with your friend to set up the date." With a heave, he pushed himself up from the bench and dusted off his pants before looking back at Tenten expectantly, most likely hoping she wouldn't try to make him stick around any longer. "I trust that your newly honed womanly wiles will get the job done. Let me know if you need something!"

Man, did he try to run. But before he could take his first step to turn and leave, Tenten burst out laughing, unable to control her amusement at his rush to run off. "Where's the fire, Sensei? You can't leave yet, you have to stick around and watch my progress." She watched as his shoulders slumped, and he fell back into the bench with a hard _thud. _It took a lot to keep herself from chuckling incessantly. "Look, as a nice pat on the back for showing up today, even with Sakura gone, I'll let you go home for a few hours while I ask this guy out. But you have to come back and make sure I'm doing well during the date, got it?"

Only a few grunts and mutterings escaped his lips, but Tenten knew she could trust him to show up later. He had that unofficial Kakashi honor to uphold, as well as his books to protect. For those reasons she felt comfortable just waving him away for the time being and running off to get in contact with Shikamaru. Without waiting for a response from the discouraged Jonin, she flashed him a bright smile and sprinted in the direction of Shikamaru's restaurant. Her mind took a mental photo of Kakashi's confused and defeated stare as she ran, tucking it away in her memory for a rainy day.

* * *

It didn't take long for Tenten to find the restaurant and spot Shikamaru's brown pineapple of a hairdo. As expected, she found him standing outside, shirking his waiter duties with a lit cigarette in hand.

"You know, at the rate you're going that smoke is going to burn up your lungs and trachea within a year."

Shikamaru gazed at her with a frown, eyes half-lidded and looking bored. "If that's the case, I plan on taking you down with my second-hand smoke." Sucking in a long drag of the cigarette, he leaned into her and forced a loud cough. Smoke spurted out in her direction through his lips and nostrils as he wheezed and hacked, and his little act grew increasingly dramatic as she stared at him with amusement.

"Good luck with that," she laughed, waving away the lingering trails of smoke before placing her hand on his shoulder. "I feel like you'd sooner choke to death with that exaggerated performance there."

Upon regaining his composure, he shrugged and flicked the cigarette into the ground. "Oh well, it was worth a try. So what do you need today, Miss I-want-in-my-Sensei's-pants?"

A grin spread across her face. "Are you free tonight, Shika? Let's go out on a date."

For a second his lazy eyes widened in surprise, but his quick mind saw through her sudden invitation soon after. "I see, is this your plan to make your masked boyfriend jealous?"

She raised a finger and wagged it at his nose. "Not quite, pal. You're also going to help me observe him. See if he pays attention to me, or if he gets worked up over us being together. I'm sure you have knack for gathering that kind of intel." Resting her hands on her hips, she beamed at him. "Make sense?"

A familiar look of exasperation pulled at his bored expression, and it reminded her of the same look Kakashi often gave her and Sakura. It was a look she'd grown to appreciate and adore within the last week because it meant he would stick around for her even if it was a waste of time to him. And of course, she knew that look meant that she had Shikamaru in the bag.

"Thanks, Shika, I appreciate your help." Tenten pulled his stiff body into a tight hug, and she resisted the urge to cough at the strong scent of smoke and nicotine clinging to his shirt. "Now we gotta work on our 'natural' chemistry. We can't make anyone jealous if we don't look like we're cozy with each other!"

Cheeks faintly pink at her sudden embrace, he wormed his way out of her arms and frowned. "You gotta be kidding me. You can't expect me to just fake interest in dating, let alone dating _you _of all people."

Her lips pulled into a sarcastic pout, and she retorted with a rough jab of her elbow into his ribs. "Well you'd better find a way to fake it! Think of this as practice, in case you ever get an infiltration mission where you have to pretend to be someone's husband, and you'll be fine." She paused to give him a chance to grumble a bit before continuing. "Besides, I'm not that bad of a date. I've already gone out with Kakashi a few times now, and he's still not tired of me."

At that, the lazy Nara quit his grumbling and faced her. "All right, all right, I'll cooperate. Just 'cause it's sad seeing you lust after this guy alone."

Tenten laughed and slapped him hard on the back. "Whatever you say, Shika. I really appreciate it. Now let's get started! We can set the date for dinner at six, and I'll go find Kakashi at around five so he can trail us. For now, we'll work on our flirting."

Shikamaru was clearly uncomfortable with even the idea of flirting with her, which was more amusing than frustrating. If anything, she would have fun tonight just trying to bring out the unlikely romantic in him. Their friendly hug just moments ago already caused his shoulders to stiffen; she could only imagine what holding hands and kissing would do to him. Poor Ino had her work cut out for her, but perhaps Tenten could go ahead and try to get him more accustomed to the idea of girls while practicing her own moves to make Kakashi jealous. Two birds; one stone.

"Well, whatever you plan on doing, you'll have to wait until after I get off work. I finish in about two hours, so find me here then."

For once he actually looked like he couldn't wait to get back to work. A rare moment in the lazy Nara's low-key existence. With more motivation like this, he'd get a raise and promotion in no time.

"All right, I'll let you go for now then," she chuckled, flashing a peace sign at him. "I'll see you in two hours!"

Her heart was pumping confidence through her veins now as she leapt away from the restaurant, one rooftop after another. A dozen different thoughts rushed through her mind as her heartbeat raced to catch up to her running speed. Now was her time to plan—what to wear, how to act, whatever it took to grab a certain Jonin's attention without giving away her intentions to him. First order of business: Get home and find something snazzy to wear. The first outfit to instantly come to mind was the little red dress Kakashi found for her a few days ago. _Man, what a night that was._

Upon reaching her doorstep, Tenten fought through the entrance and hurried inside, throwing open her closet door. With some assorted workout clothes pushed to the side, there hung her familiar party dress in all its seductive red glory. She pulled the dress from its hanger and held it up to her neck, letting the rest of it fall gracefully against her torso. Even after putting it through the washer, his smell still lingered in the fabric, and she didn't mind it one bit. In fact, she rather enjoyed the way it reminded her of that night, when his entire being filled her senses as their lips touched...

_Not the time. _

Setting the dress on the bed, she turned and retrieved a pair of nylon stockings from her dresser. In addition to that, she found the lacy lingerie that Sakura and Ino had given her before this all started. Curiously, she thought she'd gotten rid of it, yet there it was sitting innocently in her dresser waiting to be found again.

"Might as well," she mumbled with a shrug.

Along with the stockings, she tossed the bra and panties onto the bed to accompany the dress. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked over the outfit strewn across her bed. Every bit of it was clean and fresh, ready to see some romantic action. Her cheeks flushed at the thought of it all coming off again, being tossed to the floor without a care in a rush of passion. _Play my cards right, and it'll happen soon enough. _Her skin was itching with excitement.

The remainder of the two hours dragged on slowly and painfully as Tenten realized that she had nothing more to prepare. With her evening outfit laid out and ready to go, there wasn't really much more she could do except wait. It was agonizing. She fiddled around with stray kunai and glanced up at the clock only to see that just four minutes had passed since she last checked. She eventually resorted to practicing lame pick-up lines to pull on Shikamaru for fun.

Finally, with twenty minutes left on the clock until the designated meeting time, she flew out of the apartment, silent anticipation building in the back of her throat as she ran. As promised, when she arrived at the front of the restaurant, there stood Shikamaru, now dressed in his usual ninja garb in place of the work uniform from before. Luckily for her, he didn't have a cigarette lit this time, so she could breathe easy.

"Ready to begin?" she asked, breaths still heavy from running.

She saw his eyes give her a once-over before he _tch_'d and sighed. "I sure hope you're not wearing _that _tonight. I know we're not actually dating, but I'd still rather be seen with a _woman._"

Mirroring his eyes, she looked down at her outfit and saw that he was referring to her tomboyish workout gear. "Of course not!" She shook her head, laughing. "I've got a really nice outfit planned for you, Shika. I promise, it won't disappoint." She winked at him as he heaved another sigh.

"If you say so, I guess. Where to now?"

"My place, actually. You should see the outfit and figure out how to deal with my hair, since I'm kinda limited to buns on my own... We can also start practicing our interactions."

He shrugged, still looking somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of seeing Tenten as a date. "Lead the way, then. Let's get this over with."

"I don't suppose you could pretend like you're mildly interested?" she asked with a smirk.

"Nah, I'll save my fake excitement for when we're making out later. I'll actually have to put on a convincing show then, as troublesome as it is."

"Good point, fair enough. Let's go then!"

* * *

This girl was really in a hurry to get things started. On the way to her home Shikamaru nearly lost her—she barely even noticed when he was meters away, with him trying not to blink and lose her as she rounded corners. But he knew better than to call out and say "Just wait a damn minute!" to her. Women were already dangerous enough to begin with, but once their hormones started flaring, all Hell broke loose. Shikamaru could never make any sense of it, but it is what it is.

To his dismay, the duo arrived at their destination without too much difficulty. He was half hoping he'd get lost and go home with the excuse that he couldn't find her. "Home, sweet home," she sang, opening the door for him to enter first. Without bothering to show him around, Tenten went straight for her room, shoving him along with her. "There, that's what I'm wearing tonight." She was beaming at him, confident in her choice of style.

He gave her bed a glance, a startlingly red fabric sticking to his mind. It was a gaudy red dress, not at all something he'd expect her to wear, let alone own. And the underwear... What in the world was she planning?! "I do hope you realize that I'm not taking off any of your clothes tonight, especially if _that's _what I'm going to find underneath," he croaked, motioning gingerly to the lacy black lingerie. His voice cracked ever so slightly towards the end of the statement. "Fake or not, I'm not having sex with you while Kakashi's watching."

He saw her eyes widen slowly as she realized the implications behind the style of bra and panties. "Oh man, no way!" Her hands waved back and forth defensively. "I'm just wearing that for show. It's not for you to take off or anything weird like that!"

Up until now, he didn't even realize that he'd been holding his breath, and for the last ten minutes he could feel heat crawling up his neck. Thankfully, knowing that Tenten didn't expect the fake date to go quite _that _far, his shoulders relaxed. "G-good, just putting down some ground rules before you take advantage of me."

Her lips curled up into a slight smirk, and he sighed, knowing she was clearly taking his statement the wrong way. It was going to be a long night, and he wondered for the fifth time that day how it ended up being him to play love counselor.

"Since you're doing me this huge favor, I'm not going to make tonight too horrible for you, Shika." Her playful smirk softened into a grateful smile.

The sudden change in atmosphere startled him a bit, but somehow it calmed him. It was nice seeing that troublesome smile on her. "Don't worry too much about it. Now let's get started."

* * *

_Let it be known that I, Nara Shikamaru, just sat down and flirted for over an hour out of the kindness of my heart. And who says I'm lazy and unhelpful? _The only response he received was the sound of his own feet scuffling against the hard dirt road. Other than that, silence as he made his way towards home. _Ah, who am I kidding? I'm still one unwilling and lazy bastard. _With one hand stuffed in his pocket, the other reached into his vest pocket to retrieve a lone, crooked cigarette, the last one of his pack. Out of habit, he slid it between his fingers and lifted it up to his lips. Before he could reach back into his pocket for a lighter, his hand faltered, and he frowned.

"That's right, Tenten can't stand smoke..." His free hand retreated into his pocket, and he spat the cigarette out into a nearby trashcan, licking his lips in disappointment. "What a troublesome woman."

Even without her physically around, she still dictated his actions. He can't smoke for fear of the smell lingering during their date; he's heading home to change because she wants him to be a little more presentable; he's going out of his way to pick her up at her apartment later to stand on ceremony, despite the fact that it would be easier to just meet at the restaurant. Still, at least she wasn't coarse, like certain blonde kunoichi. Tenten made it clear that the flirting wouldn't go too far during the date. Just some smiles, laughs, and hand-touching. They wouldn't jump to kissing, and absolutely no sex afterwards. And on top of everything, she offered to pay for the meals this time.

So all in all, not really such a horrible deal. Still more trouble than he'd like it to be, but this could probably count towards his good deed of the month. Asuma would be proud.

Luckily for him, finding a change of appropriate clothing was simple and quick. Some time ago, his impatient and pushy mother launched into a mild tirade, babbling on and on about how he wasn't out looking for a suitable wife. "I'm not getting any younger," she said. "I want to hear the pitter patter of little feet again," she said. "Go find yourself a nice girl to marry," she said. When it became apparent that he still wasn't interested in appeasing his mother, she stormed off in a rage and decided to take matters in her own hands. Somehow she figured that buying him a new, fancier wardrobe would attract more women. She figured if he didn't look as lazy, he wouldn't be so difficult to approach. Of course, just because she went and bought him the clothes didn't mean that he would wear them himself. Stuffing them in an empty drawer, he just kept to his usual attire, not bothering to give the new clothes a try.

At least he didn't toss them or give them away, and it just so happened that some of those shirts and pants were well-suited for this dinner date. Perhaps he would have to thank his mother for them after all. But he still couldn't be bothered to fix up his hair or pretty himself up. He took a few minutes to find shirt and pants that matched decently and threw them on in a hurry. Work wasn't too busy that day either, so he reasoned that he didn't smell bad enough to need a shower. This was already more effort than he'd usually give for a social call; Tenten would have to be satisfied with his current look. After all, beggars can't be choosers, and he was already doing her a huge favor.

Now to pick her up and go on this date. Before leaving the house, Shikamaru checked the time and noted that he had about half an hour before he needed to be at her doorstep. Plenty of time to stop and smell the roses on the way, so to speak. During the hour-long break for him to change, Tenten's plan was to find Kakashi and inform him of her and Shikamaru's date. In the back of his mind he wondered if she ended up finding him. Kakashi was known to be quite elusive at times, and it didn't seem like he'd be interested in chaperoning her. Unless, of course, her suspicions were correct, and he was interested in her.

He sniffed at the thought, still not convinced that a man of his caliber would go for any romantic partner, let alone _her. _Kakashi wasn't like Asuma, soft and willing to love. Anyone could see that the closest he had to family now was his team—and that wasn't saying much. It seemed that Tenten had a knack for picking the tough, cold-hearted ones. He'd never understand why.

But never mind that now, he said he'd help her tonight, and Shikamaru could already see her apartment crawling up in the distance. His eyes glanced over the building and around the streets, looking for an indication of her presence. It was too far away to really see if she'd made it back, so he held his breath, hoping he wouldn't have to wait for her to come back and get ready. Anticipation building, his pace quickened, and the apartment drew near. When he reached the foot of the building, he looked up in the direction of her balcony to see her sitting alone along the wall, red dress spilling over the railing.

"Am I supposed to ask you to let down your hair, Rapunzel?" he called, careful not to let his eyes slip carelessly under her dress.

_Wow, that was tacky. _

She shot him an odd look, probably wondering where his sudden teasing came from. "Sorry, I didn't see you walk up. I'll be down in a minute!"

He sighed, hands now stuffed in the pockets of his sleek new slacks. As he waited, he was half afraid that she wasn't done getting ready, that she still had final touches to put on so that he'd be waiting out there for another half hour. Ino always had a tendency to do that, and it seemed that many other women weren't any different. But Tenten was known to be a tomboy. Theoretically, that meant that she was faster at getting ready than most women. Either that or she was more inexperienced at fashion and beauty, thus she'd take even longer. He sorely hoped that the latter wasn't the case.

Much to his reserved relief, she didn't give him long to ponder the thought as her heeled footsteps clacked noisily in his direction. He heard her rushed breaths rounding the corner before coming face-to-face with her.

"S-sorry for making you wait, Shika," she breathed, giving him a sheepish grin. "I discovered that I couldn't find my heels."

He glanced down at her feet, noting the awkward position of her feet in her unnaturally tall and thin high-heeled shoes. She clearly wasn't great at this whole dating thing. "Looks like you found them quickly enough. Don't worry about it."

No longer looking sheepish, she walked ahead of him and took the lead, being careful not to stumble too much on the uneven gravel. After taking a few steps forward, she stopped and turned her head just enough to glance at him in the corner of her eyes. "Looks like it'll just be me and you tonight."

At first he couldn't tell if that was a cue to start acting, if Kakashi was hiding in the bushes somewhere, taking notes on how bad of a boyfriend Shikamaru would be. But Shikamaru caught a subtle look in her eye that said otherwise, something that wasn't quite sadness, but definitely wasn't the lovesick excitement he'd seen in her when she first came to him with this plan. That one backwards glance said it all, that she wasn't able to find him, that tonight would be for nothing.

As the two walked in silence, Shikamaru took a moment to study her. His eyes traveled down her toned frame, tracing the surprisingly aesthetic curves of her body. The lackluster stride of her steps managed to bring out a deeper beauty in her, and the red dress no longer looked gaudy, but hauntingly seductive—something he would never admit to her face. Clearing her throat, she broke through the stiff silence and slowed her pace to match his. Her thin, tanned arm snaked around his, and she smiled up at him.

He expected some kind of joke or silly icebreaker to follow the smile, but she remained silent and stared ahead as they walked. For once he wished she would say _something. _While he didn't really want to chat, it was irritating enough not knowing what she was thinking. Most women were so easy to ready, so cliché and standard. If another woman were in Tenten's situation, she'd be bawling her eyes out, whining about how her plan to seduce that one hot guy from the bar was ruined and how she dressed up for nothing and how men were just dumb and inconsiderate. This one was a rare breed among the typical, whiny flock of chatty birds.

In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he actually wondered why she hadn't landed someone yet. Well no, never mind. The answer to that was simple. Two words: Hyuga Neji. Her love for him shut out any possibility of her finding someone else. She was too strong to admit that he was hurting her, but she was also too stubborn to move on. At least, until now. But whatever she had with Kakashi wasn't going to work either. They were just too different, too far apart in more ways than just age. The sooner she realized that, the less pain she'd feel when she finally decided to move on again. Perhaps his absence tonight will kick-start that mindset in her.

Something told him that she was thinking along the same lines as himself. If she wasn't trying to find a way to move on, this date would have been over. But she was still willing to go and get dinner and continue as planned. Shikamaru was then the unofficial mental rebound. At least he was still getting free food at a nice restaurant.

Lost in thought, he'd forgotten to pay attention to his surroundings and didn't realize when the pair reached their destination. Thankfully, one of them was paying attention, and Tenten led them to the right place while he pondered the situation. To his relief, she didn't say anything about his silent musing and just left him to do as he pleased as they walked. This continued on the way into the restaurant, where she took the initiative and spoke to their host so they could be seated.

"You must be in some intense thought," she whispered with a smirk, eyes crinkled with amusement. "Got your mind on something?"

He didn't even realize that they'd already made it to their seats. His menu sat waiting before him, and as he glanced across the table he saw that she'd already been looking through the appetizers and main dishes. "Sorry, it's nothing important."

She crossed her arms and pouted, her leg brushing up gently against his knee as she shifted her sitting position. "Clearly more important than paying attention to little ol' me."

Tomboy or not, she was pretty good at the whole flirty persona. Where she picked it up, he could only imagine, but it was pretty effective. Even with the knowledge that it was all an act, it still made his stomach do a small flip. Props to her for that.

"Of course not, Ten." He looked up at her and managed a crooked smile. "Tonight's dedicated to you and you alone."

Her response was a small giggle, but he could see through her act. She wanted to die laughing at his ridiculous act. He probably looked completely abnormal, all dressed up in a fancy restaurant with a girl, getting all flirty and romantic. It wasn't like him at all, and she was having a ball with it. Free dinner didn't seem like a very good deal anymore. But seeing her relaxing and letting go of disappointment wasn't all that bad either. For now he'd go along with it and keep up the act, but she sure owed him big time.

"You look beautiful in that dress," he mumbled, eyes traveling lazily down the menu to find something mildly tasteful to order.

The menu was filled with dishes with strange, foreign names. They couldn't just give it a name that matched its description. Chicken broiled in butter and simmered in cream sauce, served with colorful, steamed vegetables. Sea scallops seared in brown butter and lemon sauce, topped with some random herb. A small chunk of steak grilled with broccoli, smothered in some smelly red sauce. The dish wasn't going to taste better just because it sounded extravagant.

"Thanks, Shika." Her cheeks were pink with flattery, perhaps a reaction more authentic than she'd like to admit. "You don't look too bad yourself when you actually try."

Neither one of them took much time to choose what they wanted to eat. No appetizers, no desserts, just a simple main dish to fill their stomachs. And since he didn't pay that much for lunch the other day, he returned the favor by choosing something that wasn't as ridiculously priced off the menu. Both decided against wine and alcohol in general as well, mentally agreeing it would be better and safer to stick with plain water. Tenten was cool and collected for the time being, but for all he knew, just a few sips of alcohol and her disappointment would come pouring out all at once. Not a risk he'd be willing to take tonight, no thank you.

The restaurant didn't have many patrons that night. Just a few couples dotted here and there, no one within earshot of another. The atmosphere was nice, set by a small orchestra off in the corner, and smooth orchestral music played non-stop in the background as people dined. Assorted smells wafted by every now and then as new dishes were cooked and delivered from table to table, and before long Tenten and Shikamaru received their respective dishes. During the meal the two were reserved, and not much chatting went underway between them.

Just as their last conversation began to grow stale, Tenten sliced a piece of her roast beef and gathered it with some diced potatoes on her fork, lifting it up in Shikamaru's direction. "Here, taste some," she said with a soft smile. Her free hand cupped beneath the fork, ready to catch any stray bits of beef or potato.

He stared at it for a full ten seconds before realizing how awkward it was for her to offer it while he left her hanging. The table was a little wide, and since the two sat exactly opposite of each other, he knew it would be a little difficult to stick his neck out and eat the offering from across the table. Tenten must have realized the same, and picturing the amusing spectacle, she laughed aloud, still careful not to drop any food. This woman had a habit of laughing at him, he discovered. She found amusement in the smallest things, and it was probably why she was able to look so light-hearted and chipper all the time. He wasn't entirely sure whether or not that was a redeeming quality of hers, but for now it didn't really matter. It was awkward enough that she was still offering a taste of her dish, so he stood up, picked up his chair, and situated himself next to her. Her fork followed suit, and when he was finally seated, she guided it up to his nose and stuck it into his mouth as soon as his lips parted.

"Mission accomplished!" she laughed, setting the empty fork on her plate. Seeing bits of seasoning at the corner of his mouth, she took a napkin to his lips and helped clean it off. "How is it?"

With a raised index finger, indicating he was unable to speak, he continued to chew, finding it somewhat difficult to do so as chunks of potato lodged themselves to the roof of his mouth. She continued to smile and laugh, even as she wiped his lips with her napkin. At the touch of her fingers, he swallowed the food and looked over at her. He didn't know what kind of look he was giving her, but whatever she saw made her pause, and her soft brown eyes met his. They were inching closer, he could tell from the way her bated breaths began to warm his chin. Before he knew it, something in his gut pushed him to close the distance, and without another thought he squeezed his eyes closed and pressed his lips against hers.

Despite warming herself up to his kiss and pulling him in to deepen it, she looked shocked when they broke apart. But it didn't matter. He did what needed to be done, and to make her understand, he leaned into her ear and whispered, "I found him. He's here."

**-  
End Chapter 11  
-**_  
_

* * *

**A/N: **Look guys, I wrote another chapter! 8D Now we can start taking bets on how long the next one will take, yeah? Yeah!

Let's hope it doesn't take too long... Help me stay motivated by **R&R'ing. **:'3


	12. One Big Mess

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters

_**Previously:**__ Teaming up with Shikamaru, Tenten decides to figure out Kakashi's true feelings._

* * *

**-  
Chapter 12: **One Big Mess  
**-**

_He's here. _

At first Tenten couldn't even begin to process the words. Nothing was working right in her mind, it was just blank and empty, running on auto-pilot. Her shoulders stiffened, cheeks still tinted and warm from the kiss she just shared with Shikamaru. Everything around her was a blur. One big stuffy and messy blur.

_He's… really here. _

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was still aware that she needed to act normally, to pretend like she heard nothing and just continue with the plan. But at this point she couldn't tell whether her body was frozen due to the kiss or the fact that Kakashi actually showed up. Most likely it was a combination of the two, but whatever the case, she couldn't move. Her eyes remained glued to Shikamaru's, her lips still pulled into a slight pucker out of breaking away from him. One of them had to do something rational. Fast.

Shikamaru's eyes flicked around the room, probably in an attempt to find Kakashi's exact location. They settled comfortably on Tenten's again as he lifted a hand to brush his knuckles against her cheek. "Ten, you still in there?"

The sound of his light voice roused Tenten from her frozen state, and she straightened in her chair, giggling softly. "What a kiss that was," she sighed, flashing him a wink and a smile. "I'm pleasantly surprised."

_On with the plan. _

Taking the hint, he continued his act and sat back in his chair with a chuckle. "I'm not as bad at this whole dating thing as everyone seems to think. I'm just—"

"Too lazy to try," she finished, wrinkling her nose at him.

"Touché."

The two shared a chuckle before falling into a comfortable silence. A few more flirty jokes were thrown here and there to maintain their romantic facade, but creativity was beginning to grown thin. Their forks pushed and shoved the remaining leftovers around, scraping harshly against the ceramic plates when the forks missed their marks. They both knew that the night was winding down, and all that was left was the walk home and their goodnight wishes. But how to transition to that? What was the best way to finish off their master plan?

Her eyes shot up to meet his, begging the genius to think of their next step. With things going so unexpectedly well, she grew more and more afraid that something horrible and disastrous would happen. She would lose her nerve and blow their cover, he would forget his wallet and get hounded by the waiter, she would get food poisoning and throw up on the spot, he would knock over the romantic, unscented candle and set her dress on fire. _Who knows?_

As if on cue, Shikamaru motioned for the waiter and requested their check before placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "I've got this one."

Good call; it looked better for him to pay, regardless of the fact that it started out as her bribe to him. But of course he then shot her a look that told her _you're paying me back later, in cash, with interest. _She nodded in response, smirking at him. "Thank you, Shika. I'll get the next one then." She winked. This fake date would have a been a disaster were she with anyone else.

For the remainder of the evening, the conniving duo continued their little charade for Kakashi to see. The longer they played their roles, the more comfortable they became at performing small acts of romance. But neither one attempted a second kiss, both settling on the pretense that one was well enough. The first just felt too sincere to repeat, and Tenten was content keeping her inner romantic conflict between a maximum of two men. _Two is company, but three's a crowd. _Still, every now and then as the night progressed, her mind wandered back to that moment, and she couldn't help but glance over at Shikamaru and wonder.

"I guess we're at the end of our date, Tenten."

Was that disappointment in his voice? Not at all prominent, but definitely there, hidden behind a light yawn. His voice, tired and husky, brought her attention back to the real world. The two stood within a foot of each other in front of her apartment. Being the charming and considerate date that he was, Shikamaru successfully walked her home, despite it being out of the way for him. The guy was now aces in her book.

"Thank you for such a wonderful night, Shika," she said with a sincere smile. "The restaurant was a little snobby for my taste, but I had fun." The kiss flashed before her eyes again, and she found that she couldn't look him in the eye.

"Yeah, likewise. You really do look beautiful in that dress."

Was he still acting? She couldn't tell, and at that her heart raced. And somewhere, at a distance, Kakashi still lingered behind. As promised.

"Thank you. I guess I'll see you around then."

"Right. See ya."

With a dumb smile hanging on her lips, Tenten turned away from the sound of his footsteps and stepped into her home, where familiarity and darkness enveloped her. Deep within her gut she felt a hint of regret for pulling him into all of this, dragging him here and there just to satisfy a little lustful longing. As she began to strip herself of the uncomfortably thin layers of attractive party wear, she promised herself to owe Shikamaru a similar favor. Surely somewhere in the genius's head sat a pent up cloud of raging hormones ready to burst through his groin. Her lips curled into a smirk at the thought of it, and she snorted, almost incapable of imagining him sexually active.

_Speaking of men I can't imagine being sexually active... _"Kakashi, you can come out now." Tenten emerged from her bedroom, fully dressed for comfort with shorts and a t-shirt, and turned toward the nonchalant man stretched across the couch.

* * *

The place was small—cozy, in a way. The walls stood plain and dull, lacking flair of any kind, and the only objects that graced the living room were assorted ceremonial weapons. But those were to be expected. The home was all very green too. He imagined Tenten to be more of a red or navy blue person, but her home radiated a natural green aura, which was somewhat soothing for his nerves. As he treated himself to a brief tour of the apartment, he continued to observe the subtle behind-the-scenes aspects of the Weapons Mistress. The obvious abundance of weapons and scrolls aside, she didn't have many photos or extraneous furniture. The space felt clean, and it wasn't at all gaudy. Simple, much like her personality. He should have poked around more the first time he visited.

Satisfied with his inspection of her living space, Kakashi settled on the lone couch adorning the furthermost edge of the living room. His ears perked to the sound of shuffling in her bedroom, and he gathered that Tenten was finally finished dressing herself.

"So, on a scale from one to ten, how awesome of a date was Shikamaru? One being 'awesome,' and ten being 'you two should get married and have four little Tentens and Shikamarus running around by Wednesday.'"

The woman wasted no time: come home, get dressed, interrogate the POW-turned-spy. Kakashi took it upon himself to give her a visible, exaggerated grimace for her graphic description of the scale. No way in hell would that lazy kid ever agree to having that many kids so soon. "Two point three."

A look of confusion washed over her face for a moment, then it turned into disappointment. "That's it? What was so bad about him?"

He shrugged, studying her with his half-lidded stare. "He smelled funny." Considering the kind of scale she gave him, 2.3 wasn't that bad of a score at all; it was generous, even. It already meant that Shikamaru was more than awesome.

With her arms folded and her hips locked in a defiant stance, Tenten frowned. "He smelled pretty nice, in my opinion. Plus he did tons better than you did when we went out. Kissed better too. His was tender and warm, whereas yours was forceful and sloppy." She paused, as if to allow time for her statement to sink in. "He deserves no less than an 8.5, and you know it!"

_Forceful and sloppy? Now that doesn't sound like me at all. But when did I ever...? _Kakashi felt as though he was missing something, but shrugged it off. Of course she would question his score, even though _she _was the one who asked _him _to spy on the Nara in the first place. When did these young people ever listen to what he had to say?

"Well you clearly know better than I do about this rating business. I'm at a complete loss." As the words left his mouth, he noticed that his voice was getting slightly louder, his tone harsher. Taking a slow, deep breath, he continued. "Quite frankly, I'm not sure why I'm even here to begin with. I'm not cut out for this."

At the sound of his implied resignation, her shoulders slumped for a fraction of a second before she started shaking with... _laughter? _"I really don't get you sometimes, Sensei," she uttered between chuckles. "I can't read you at all."

She thought that _he _was confusing to read? "I assure you, the feeling is mutual." Kakashi couldn't even tell if she was laughing out of irony or if she was genuinely amused. The way her intermittent giggles shook her shoulders, how she wiped the light-hearted tears from her eyes, and that big, bright grin of hers. He had no idea what ran through her mind. "Look, let's just get back to what we were doing so I can finally finish this coaching nonsense."

Again, he lost a bit of control over his tone near the end. But Tenten, ever the same understanding and polite girl, ignored his biting remark and merely nodded. "You're right, Sakura and I have had you strapped down long enough. Shikamaru aside, how did I do? You may use the same rating system if you like." She shot him a wink.

"You did well. Even though I've already seen you in that dress, you still looked fresh and undoubtedly attractive. He looked you over at least twice." He spoke as if he'd rehearsed this little comment. Perhaps he had, unconsciously. From the moment he arrived at the restaurant to the moment Shikamaru left her doorstep, Kakashi had been mulling over what he wanted to say to Tenten regarding the last phase of their sessions. "The dinner looked relaxed and casual; he seemed to enjoy himself in your company. You weren't over bearing, nor were you too shy. I think you won him over, and I'm sure the Hyuga would be pleased."

Sure, it wasn't detailed or specific by any means, but it was sincere. By the end of his brief assessment, Kakashi began to feel a certain pit of dissatisfaction growing in his chest. It was a foreign sensation, some sort of cross between a physical shortage of breath and a mental loss for words. The discomfort grew as silence stretched between the two as they sat in the darkness of her living room, only a few feet away from each other. The look she gave him didn't help either. Her expression taunted him, as if she knew some dark secret about him that he couldn't see. Why wasn't she saying anything? What was she waiting for? _How unnerving. _

"Thank you, Sensei," she breathed at last. It appeared that she'd been holding her breath. Perhaps due to the excitement of her success? He couldn't be sure. It sure was dark in here; too dark to adequately read her features. "You can head home now, I really appreciate the effort you put into helping me with something so foolish."

The Jonin's shoulders slumped at her anticlimactic response to the evaluation. "That's it? You're just sending me on my merry way?"

"Yep! Unless you need me to do something?"

Her features looked so cheerful and innocent, as if nothing was wrong with the world. No excited bounce for having done well, no cunning or wicked grin for planning her next step, no anxious fidget at the thought of facing the Hyuga again. Her reaction and acceptance was all too simple. Or was he overreacting to her under-reaction? All of the hushed plans between Sakura and Tenten gave him reason to build up his guard, perhaps.

"No, I've got nothing. I'll be going then."

With the wave of a hand as her final goodbye, Tenten ushered him out of the living room and out of the apartment, closing the door promptly behind him. Kakashi sat himself in front of her apartment, on the balcony overlooking the sleepy, moonlit rooftops of Konoha. The scene put him in the mood for contemplating. He sat slouching over the ledge, his arms hanging over his knees, and he felt somewhat akin to a puppy who'd been thrown out of the house for chewing on the furniture. For whatever reason, he was having trouble leaving, unable to shake the feeling that he should have done more. But what more was there to do? Sakura's three-step plan was executed, finished, over—Goodbye, and have a nice day.

After giving himself a a few more minutes of pouty dissatisfaction, he picked himself up and trudged toward home, aware that Tenten wouldn't rest easy with him unintentionally loitering at her doorstep, just short of stalking her. Along the way, his mind continued to pick and prod at the mysteries surrounding the double-bunned weapons master. The fact that it took so much work to play the girl's game irked him. The frustration intensified as he realized that he really had no idea of what ran through her head.

With a throw of his hands into the air, he gave up. "Enough of this. It's over, and they won't bother me anymore. I can finally rest easy."

If only he felt as relieved as he sounded.

* * *

Despite having had one of the more socially stressful weeks in her life, Tenten actually felt more or less relaxed and carefree. She couldn't put her finger on why, seeing as how she now had more questions than answers regarding Kakashi, Neji, and even Shikamaru. Still, as she sat in the living room of her still apartment, giving her precious weapons some well-deserved attention after days of neglect, the only debate that filled her mind was whether or not to finish that expired milk in the fridge. _It still looks and smells all right__, and it's only been three days since it officially expired. Yeah, I'll just finish it tonight. _Her train of thought then touched on the subject of groceries, but nothing more.

Days went by, and she remained detached from the men who defined her complex lack of a love life. It helped that said men seemed intent on avoiding her as well—Not a single word from any of them. Instead of fretting over a multitude of different reasons for their silence, she remained aloof, content with going about her everyday life as she did before everything turned complicated. Eat, train, sleep, and socialize if necessary. Oh, how she missed the simple life. But she knew she couldn't avoid the tension that had built up between her and her friends forever. At the very least, she had to face Neji at some point and sort everything out. The two of them made one hell of a team on missions, and she refused to give up on that chemistry over a stale little crush.

The following morning greeted Tenten with a gentle knock of the door. Dressed and ready to leave for some morning exercises, she poked her head out from her bedroom to stare at the wooden frame. Given the lack of visitors for the past week or so, she no longer knew what to expect from her friends and acquaintances. So she stood there, eyeing the suspicious door for a full minute, wondering who it could possibly be this early in the morning. Her eyes remained glued to the wood a little while longer before she snapped out of her sudden stupor and answered the door. It opened to reveal a surprise visit from her favorite Hyuga. Her eyes slowly traveled up his torso to meet his pale-eyed stare. He seemed neither joyous nor reluctant to see her.

"Ah. Good morning, Neji." She didn't bother to decorate her tone with false enthusiasm. In truth, she wasn't really prepared to see or speak to him again so soon, though a small part of her was still somewhat relieved to see him act like he always did, all calm, quiet, and void of emotion.

"Good morning, Tenten. I hope you are well."

Leave it to Neji to sound so uninterested even when regarding his best friend. The way he spoke made it seem like they were polite acquaintances as opposed to long-time comrades who trusted each other with their lives. Realizing that it had always been like this, Tenten relived a bit of the anger she endured the last time they talked, when she confronted him about their relationship.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we? You here to talk or what?" She was fully aware of the harsh inflections in her tone, and she felt mildly sheepish for speaking this way to him. Putting her feelings aside, she knew very well that she hadn't been reasonable nor fair to him. Still, some emotions were just too strong to control.

At her biting response, Neji sighed, shoulders slumping. "As much as I'd like to discuss your odd behavior as of late, I'm actually here at the Hokage's discretion." He paused, mostly likely anticipating a sarcastic remark.

Her only response was a pointed glare, paired with a defensive cross of the arms. My _odd behavior, he says. __  
_

Looking just about ready to give up on understanding her, Neji sighed again before continuing to explain his visit. "I've come to inform you of a mission. You and I are to travel to Haganegakure to escort Matsuo Nobutora to Konoha. He is to perform business here and is expecting trouble during travel. I will provide more in depth information on our way there, as we are to leave immediately."

"Damn." The word slipped through her careless lips as soon as he finished speaking, and she turned away quickly to avoid his questioning stare. Unprepared to even speak to him, and now she was to spend at least a week with him, almost completely alone. Just her luck. "Right, okay, well." She paused, attempting to gather the scrambled thoughts in her head. "I'll just go get ready and meet you at the gates in five minutes. Sound good?"

He continued to scrutinize her with his gaze, but then relented with a brisk nod. "I'll see you there, then."

Relieved by his departure, Tenten set off immediately to pack her belongings. While she did have a lot to think about concerning her seemingly deteriorating relationship with the man, the mission came first. She was first and foremost a dutiful kunoichi of Konoha, and she wasn't about to let her personal life get in the way of getting the job done. Being a girl with girly feelings would have to wait. Besides, at least she didn't have to go undercover and pretend to be Neji's wife. Now _that _would have been really unfortunate.

She whipped together a pack of necessities within a matter of minutes and bolted out the door, remembering to lock up before jumping off the balcony towards the gates of Konoha. As promised, she arrived with a minute to spare and approached her squadmate with a hesitant grin. "Hey," she breathed, giving him a short wave, "Ready to go?"

He nodded without a word and turned to begin walking, glancing back once to make sure she was following along. How nostalgic, this feeling of treading softly behind him, trailing his shadow. The last time they worked together alone like this was weeks ago, possibly months. Since their promotions from Genin to Chunin to Jounin, they gradually saw less of each other—Lee as well. Everyone was just so busy with their own agendas and responsibilities, and it wasn't until recently that they decided to meet up every morning to spar for old times' sake. Well, every morning until a few weeks ago, at least. And for what? Some age old crush? A sudden wave of shame overcame Tenten at that moment as she recounted her behavior from the last time they spoke. When did she come to act like such a spiteful, shallow teenager? Hadn't she grown out of that by now, after enduring years of blood and sweat with this man who was practically family? "Foolish" couldn't even begin to describe how she felt.

Here came an urge to apologize. "So you have the details, right?" Or not. Cheeks tinted pink with frustration, Tenten swallowed her apology and attempted to find a balance in her mind to allow her to focus on the mission. As much as she wanted an immediate reconciliation, her pride influenced her to speak otherwise.

Somehow he must have sensed her inner conflict, as he decided to slow down to walk beside her and match her pace. "Yes, I met with the Hokage earlier this morning and received full details on what we are to do." With a pause, he turned to glance down at Tenten to gauge her mood, and she ducked her head in response, pretending to examine the battered path beneath her feet. "Nobutora is a small-time businessman hoping to rebuild his restaurant in Konoha, and he has been targeted by a group of mercenaries. It seems that he owes someone a sum of money, and he fears that his life is in danger."

After giving up on staring at the ground, she finally gathered enough courage to meet his gaze. "This doesn't seem very difficult, why were we sent for this?" She hoped there was some big danger factor involved, given that the Hokage was willing to send two Jounin on what seemed like a B-rank task. As long as it was dangerous enough to keep her mind off of frivolous things, she'd be satisfied.

"Indeed, it is rather straightforward. The Hokage explained that Konoha is a little short-handed in Chunin, so she sent us."

Tenten's shoulders slumped, disappointed, but she still held out hope that something more exciting would happen on the road. If not, she'd be stuck with Neji and a businessman. She suspected that there wouldn't be much sitting around the campfire telling stories involved, given the mounting tension between the two of them. Sure, she could keep her head on straight enough to get the job done, but that didn't guarantee complete emotional stability during their downtime.

"Just like old times then, huh?" She offered a smile and a silent plea.

He closed his eyes, taking in a slow breath before answering her. "Indeed," he breathed, a small smile pulling on his lips, "Like old times."

A reply like that was just what she needed to calm down. While he was the only one of her companions to really set her on edge, he was also the best at putting her mind to rest. A sort of double-edged sword. Perhaps it was time for them to have a heart to heart. Only this time, she wouldn't overreact like a child. Once again, the overwhelming urge to apologize welled up in her throat. She was all but ready to break down this suffocating tension between them, but her pride consistently threatened to make things worse, to send her running in circles, blaming people left and right for what had been happening.

"We'll be all right, right?" She hadn't intended on blurting it out. But she did.

Neji's stride faltered at her sudden change in mood, matching her own shock at the bluntness of her question.

"I-I'm sorry, I wanted to ease into the topic. And this is such bad timing, I should focus on what's important, w-which is the mission, not my personal life. You must be so disappointed in me, I just keep screwing up and—God, I'm sorry, I'm just going to shut up." Had she not run out of breath, she would have gone on blathering more nonsense. "We've been walking for a while now; how long will it take to get to Haganegakure again? Hopefully not too long, should we pick up the pace?"

This time, he didn't just falter. With Tenten continuing to spill words out of her mouth, she failed to notice that he was no longer walking alongside her. Before she could realize that he'd stopped, he'd already grabbed her arm and pulled her in, her body jerking back to be engulfed by his embrace. He had one hand roped around her waist, and the other pressed against the back of her head, forcing her chin to rest against his shoulder. Her own arms floundered about in an attempt to steady herself against him, and they eventually settled in place around his waist.

"Tenten," he started, hesitating as he grasped for the right words to say.

"Neji?" Her voice came out as a soft whisper, and with sudden clarity, paired with a pit in her stomach, she realized that she feared hearing the end of his statement. "What are y—"

"Tenten," he repeated, adding force to his tone to silence her, "I love you."

**-  
End Chapter 12  
-**

* * *

**A/N: **For certain readers itching for a bit more of ShikaTen, add "post/45801475188" to the end of my tumblr URL for a small alternate ending to their date. ;)

Can I just say that it's really awesome to see people still reviewing this fic, even after months of inactivity? On a different note, I love that FF increased the character list to four. Makes me feel better about having more than two major characters.


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